Hundreds of Californians Released From Prison Could Receive $2,400 Under New State Program

Hundreds of Californians released from prisons could receive direct cash payments of $2,400 — along with counseling, job search assistance and other support — under a first-in-the-nation program aimed at easing the transition out of incarceration and reducing recidivism.

Recipients will get the money over a series of payments after meeting certain milestones, such as showing progress in finding places to live and work, according to an announcement this week by the Center for Employment Opportunities, which will run the program.

The goal is to give people a chance “to cover their most essential needs” like bus fare and food during the crucial early days after exiting incarceration, said Samuel Schaeffer, CEO of the national nonprofit that helps those leaving lockups find jobs and achieve financial security.

“The first three to six months are the riskiest when many people end up back in prison,” Schaeffer said Thursday. “We want to take advantage of this moment to immediately connect people with services, with financial support, to avoid recidivism.”

The governor’s Workforce Development Board, devoted to improving the state’s labor pool, is providing a $6.9 million grant to boost community-based organizations and expand so-called re-entry services for the formerly incarcerated.

About $2 million of that will go directly to formerly incarcerated people through cash payments totaling about $2,400 each. Schaeffer’s group said the money will be paid incrementally upon reaching milestones like participating in employment interview preparation meetings with a jobs coach, making progress toward earning an industry credential or certificate; and creating a budget and opening a bank account.

Schaeffer said the new program is a “game changer” and the first of its kind in the nation, one he hopes other states will copy.

He said his group distributes money and coordinates services with local groups that provide career training and mental health counseling, among other resources. The program got a sort of test run at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic when the Center for Employment Opportunities was tasked with distributing direct payments to about 10,000 formerly incarcerated people struggling financially.

Schaeffer said that to promote equitable access to the funds, the center recommends its partners impose limited eligibility criteria for receiving payments. And there are no rules for how the money can be spent.

Advocates say people returning from incarceration often struggle to find places to live and work as they try to reintegrate back into their communities. Around 60% of formerly incarcerated individuals remain unemployed within the first year of being home, the center estimates.

State Assemblyman Tom Lackey, a Republican from Palmdale who often focuses on justice system issues, said he applauds any attempt to reduce recidivism. But he worries this new program lacks a way to track progress and ensure taxpayers are getting their money’s worth.

“If we are going to issue stipends without parameters for accountability, I worry about the return on our investment as it relates to outcomes and community safety,” Lackey said in a statement on Thursday.

Schaeffer said he expects his organization to be flexible as the program rolls out, “to keep on refining it and keep on getting smarter on how to use it” and ensure every dollar counts.

“I wish this partnership had existed while I was in re-entry,” said Carmen Garcia, who was formerly incarcerated and is now director of the Root & Rebound, a nonprofit offering legal advocacy for people leaving prison.

He said the expanded program will allow groups like his to “offer these expanded services to more people who are working to rebuild their lives after incarceration.”