Contact: Michele Kane
(916) 358-1802

FOLSOM – The California Prison Industry Authority (CALPIA) marks an important milestone in 2017, recognizing 70 years of correctional industries for the State of California.

“Correctional Industries continues to positively shape offenders’ lives and improve their chances of becoming successful when they leave prison,” said Charles Pattillo, General Manager of CALPIA and Executive Officer of the Prison Industry Board. “CALPIA’s mission is to reduce recidivism, increase prison safety, and enhance public safety by providing offender’s productive work and training opportunities.”

The California Correctional Industries Commission started in 1947 and operated enterprises at five institutions including, San Quentin State Prison, Folsom State Prison, Correctional Training Facility, California Institution for Men, and California Institution for Women. Enterprises included everything from hog farms, field crops, furniture, canneries, to even a tobacco plant.

Reconstituted CALPIA in 1982, the self-supporting state agency continues to provide job skills to offenders inside California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) institutions. The goods and services produced by CALPIA’s enterprises are sold predominately to departments of the State of California, as well as other government entities.

Seventy years later, CALPIA manages over 100 manufacturing, service, and consumable enterprises in 34 CDCR institutions.

Return rates to prison for CALPIA participants are less than the average CDCR offender with CALPIA’s Career Technical Education programs having a cumulative recidivism rate of 7.13%.

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