California implementing rehabilitative programs in state prisons to reshape incarceration methods

California is taking bold steps to dismantle death row at the San Quentin Rehabilitation Center, one of the most notorious prisons in the United States. This change comes at a time when executions have been suspended and death row inmates are being transferred to other prisons across the state.

The move is part of a larger effort to overhaul the state’s prison system. California Governor Gavin Newsom, who suspended executions at San Quentin about five years ago, is leading the charge known as the California Model, a taxpayer-funded initiative being implemented in eight prisons across the state that aims to rehabilitate general population prisoners for life after incarceration. .

The reform includes a voter-approved ballot measure that requires convicted prisoners to work and pay restitution to the families of their victims.

This means that inmates like Albert Jones are being transferred from death row to maximum security prisons, where they will have cellmates and more privileges, such as not being handcuffed most of the time.

“It will be good for a lot of us,” Jones said.

Newsom said the closure of death row at San Quentin means more than 600 death row inmates are being transferred to other state prisons.

But some victims’ families are unhappy with this measure because it grants privileges to inmates. Newsom acknowledged the concerns, but said the idea of ​​victim restitution and some form of compensation was supported by voters and clarified that inmates are not being released.

“We are not letting people leave. They are still doomed for life,” Newsom said.

How the reform program works

In the San Quentin prison yard, most inmates are serving life sentences, many of them for committing serious crimes. Despite this, they are not handcuffed or confined behind cell doors. This approach is part of a deliberate rehabilitation culture that California intends to implement at other facilities across the state.

Newsom’s California Model includes classes ranging from sign language to therapy and coding, with the goal of reducing recidivism.

“This is about addressing the reality that 95% of prisoners in the California system will be released back into the community. Will they be released healthier than when they entered or more broken?” Newsom said. “We can be as dumb as we want, you know, reincarcerating them, the costs associated with that when you spent that time in prison, where in fact we could be fundamentally addressing the issue of trauma and ultimately addressing the issue of trauma . public security.”

Newsom said implementing new programs at eight incarceration centers across the state has shown the programs are effective. He said he measures his success by measuring the reduction in recidivism, which is the recidivism rate of former prisoners.

California’s recidivism rate is slightly below the national average at 42%, but Newsom aims to reduce it further. To this end, he is investing around US$240 million in the San Quentin remake, an amount that was adjusted after feedback from his advisory committee. Newsom said he is basing the California Model on one that has worked for decades in Norway, where the recidivism rate has dropped significantly in recent years.

“We want to bring an innovative mindset to criminal justice reform. The overwhelming majority of people who are incarcerated return to their neighborhoods,” Newsom said.

Sucess histories

One of the success stories is that of Greg Eskridge, a San Quentin inmate who hosts a radio show. Eskridge, who was sentenced to 58 years to life for murder, reflected on his conviction and the impact of rehabilitation programs.

“A lot of people come from disadvantaged backgrounds,” he said. “Seeing people investing their time, their money, and their resources gives people a new way of thinking, and once people start to retrain their thinking, they become successful.”

Eskridge appeared before the parole board a few months ago, and the board recommended his release. He says he is prepared to live a crime-free life.

Kristen, an inmate and member of the Anti-Recidivism Coalition, struggled to face the reality of her crime.

“When I got to prison, I couldn’t be honest with myself about what I had done,” she said. “I caused the end of someone’s life, I killed someone.”

But Kristen says she now understands the impact of her actions, largely crediting her participation in therapy groups that help incarcerated women address the reasons behind their crimes to prevent future crimes. The groups are part of the California Model.

Jeff Macomber, the state’s prisons chief and former guard, said he was initially skeptical of the California Model but now believes investing in rehabilitation can reduce costs and prevent more crime.

“It’s costing a lot more to keep people in prison and keep people coming back, and I don’t want to create more crime victims out there,” he said.

Macomber added that reducing violent behavior among inmates should lead to fewer assaults and injuries to staff. He pointed out that Norway’s criminal reform laws in the 1990s, which overhauled prisons and criminal sentencing, took 10 to 20 years to implement. He acknowledges it will take time to achieve similar results, but he is confident they will get there as long as there is buy-in from prison staff.

The approach also aims to improve the safety of prison guards, who face high suicide rates.

Mixed reactions

Not all correctional officers are on board.

Lt. Nicholas Hamett admitted to initial skepticism. Officer Josephine Solis saw this as an opportunity to treat inmates with respect.

“What happens if we give them that respect? Do they give it back?” Solis asked.

John Sparry’s stepson, Kyle Myrick, was beaten to death by a co-worker when he was 28 years old. His killer is serving 15 years to life in prison. Sparry believes the California Model is destroying the justice that victims’ families should receive.

“The perpetrators serve some time and now time in prison will be even easier. So what does this justice look like?” he asked.

Sparry questioned the effectiveness of rehabilitation programs for those convicted of serious crimes.

“I don’t think they will be resolved with any dog ​​training, horse petting or any other therapy they offer. I think they’re probably a little beyond that,” he said.

Newsom acknowledged the mixed feelings among victims’ families.

“I have deep empathy for the victims,” Newsom said. “Not all victims are on board, but many are.”

The state argues that the California Model is about public safety, with Washington and Oregon adopting similar initiatives. Macomber said he believes other states will follow suit.

“Do you want these people to have a job, have career prospects, maybe get treatment for their mental illnesses while they’re here, maybe get the education they didn’t have the opportunity for?” Macomber said. “If we know that these individuals are 20, 25, 30 percent less likely to go to prison, why wouldn’t I do that?