California: Leading The Way In Parole

Prisons are currently expanding at an alarmingly high rate. Over the past two decades, the incarceration rate in America has increased four-fold. This type of increase in numbers is having some serious repercussions for the United States. Currently, an African-American male has a 29 percent lifetime chance of serving more than a year in prison. Subsequently, in seven states, a quarter of the African-American male population has been prohibited from voting. Also, at any given time, it is likely that two percent of the population of children within the United States has a mother or father in prison. This accounts for 1.5 million children without a mother or father present in their lives. But while the increase in incarceration is having a large effect on the population, it is placing an even greater burden on our parole systems.

As more and more people are being incarcerated, more and more inmates are being released on parole. Today, nearly one in five parolees in America lives in California. In fact, California is now the national leader in returning parolees to prison. The return rate of parolees to prison has increased 30 times from 1980 to 2000, and nearly two-thirds of current prison admissions in California are for parole violations. Nationally, the number of violators returned to prison has increased 600 percent. In California, the number of violators returned to prison increased 2,884 percent. While some argue that parole reduces the costs of incarceration in California, the savings have yet to be seen.

Housing parole violators is very expensive for the state of California. It has been estimated that housing parole violators has cost California taxpayers $900 million a year. If California were to reduce their parole revocations to that of the national average of one-third, compared to the current two-thirds, Californians would save an estimated $500 million a year. Unfortunately, the repercussions of such an extensive use of parole in California has yet to be determined. The increase in the use of parole is so recent that not much has been studied in regards to California’s parole violations policies and the reduction of recidivism rates. Parole is an undoubtedly useful tool in America, as removing convicted felons from the streets can only help to curb the rising crime rates in this desperate economy. However, the point at which returning parole violators to prison becomes more harmful than not has yet to be determined.

CDCR Vocational Programs for Inmates

A recent California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) press release documented a graduation ceremony. This ceremony was held for 23 inmates from the California Institution for Men at Chino who successfully completed a marine technology and carpentry program. It is argued that the successful implementation and completion of this program by current inmates could help to reduce their chances of returning to prison by up to 25 percent. Subsequently, it is also argued that programs like the aforementioned are saving California taxpayers upwards of $35 million.

“Thanks to the effective training provided by CALPIA, we are far less likely to see these inmates in prison again,” said Matthew Cate, CDCR Secretary. “Not only is this great news for the graduates, but it also saves the taxpayers millions of dollars a year.” These programs are designed to help convicted offenders receive the necessary professional and technical skills to obtain gainful employment. Studies have shown that once paroled, inmates who have completed these programs are overall 25 percent less likely to return to prison than the regular prison inmate population. Specifically, studies have shown that Carpentry pre-Apprenticeship program graduates recidivate 18 percent, and graduates from the new Marine Technology Training Center recidivate only 6 percent. It is claimed that these programs save taxpayers million of dollars a year when compared to the costs of prosecution, custody, and subsequent parole when compared to the current 55 percent recidivism rate of the general prison population.

Inmates in California State Prisons receive training via CDCR and the California Prison Industry Authority (CALPIA) at not cost. Upon parole, CALPIA also provides each inmate graduate with a set of tools for their trade, and also pays their initial union dues. The average citizen is not so lucky. Seattle Central Community College offers a similar Marine Carpentry program. It is a six-quarter program, and the tuition for the 18-credit course load for a non-resident is $2,751.80 per quarter. Students are also required to pay associated fees with tuition (student activity fee, computer lab fee, etc.), maintenance lab fees, and the cost of supplies and equipment. All totaled, an average student would spend close to $3,000 a quarter, which amounts to $18,000 at the end of six-quarters. Is it fair that law-abiding citizens are required to come up with this money on their own? And convicted felons are receiving this type of training at no cost, regardless of the fact that a good percentage of them will squander away their opportunity and eventually return to prison?