Fact Sheet on CDCR-Funded Pre-Release Transitional Housing

Male Community Reentry Program (MCRP)

Summary: Enables men to complete their sentences in a residential setting, with greater freedom and privileges. Programming is particularly (though not exclusively) geared towards people with both mental health and substance abuse issues. Program Timeframe: Participants must have 30 to 180 days left in their sentences at the time of placement. This means you should begin asking your counselor about the program as you approach your final 180 days. One day in the program is equivalent to one day of incarceration.Supervision: On-site correctional staff and employees from the contracted facilities (listed below) supervise program participants 24 hours a day. Participants must also wear ankle monitors.Locations: Oroville (Butte County), Bakersfield (Kern County), and Los Angeles, CA (Los Angeles County).Contacts:Butte County: Jody Alsdurf, (530) 533-5272Tri County Treatment2740 Oro Dam BlvdOroville, CA 95966Kern County: Jaime Contreras, (661) 861-6111, ex. 43Turning Point of Central California1100 Union Ave.Bakersfield, CA 93307Los Angeles County: Michael Brenner, (213) 251-2830HealthRight3602307 West 6th StreetLos Angeles, CA 90057

Am I eligible for the Male Community Reentry Program (MCRP)?

The MCRP accepts people with all levels of offenses from any institution in the state, so long as you have approximately 30 to 180 days left in your sentence at the time of placement in the program. To qualify for the program, your county of last legal residence must have been Butte County, Kern County, Los Angeles County, or San Diego County. If your county of last legal residence is elsewhere, you may still be able to participate in the MCRP if you transfer supervision to one of the four counties listed.

Certain people are automatically ineligible for the MCRP. If you meet any of the following criteria, you will not be considered for the program:

You are listed on the sex offender registry pursuant to Penal Code section 290, are classified with an R-suffix denoting a past sexual offense, or have been convicted of a sexually violent offense as defined in Health and Safety Code section 6600.

You have a Static Risk Assessment score of five or higher, which means the CDCR has predicted that you are likely to commit a violent offense upon release. This is calculated based on your age, gender, prior convictions, and rules violations.

You have attempted to escape in the past five years

You have active or potential felony holds, warrants, or detainers

You have spent time in the Security Housing Unit or Psychiatric Security Unit within the last year

You are classified as part of Security Threat Group I

You have engaged in A through C-class misconduct within the last year of being in custody. In general, this includes acts that are especially violent (murder, batter, assault), dangerous (arson, damage to valuable property), or dishonest (bribery, forgery of important records, attempts to escape). Notably, while it would typically be considered a class B or C offense, possession of alcohol/drugs may not necessarily disqualify you from the MCRP.

How do I apply for the MCRP?

The MCRP is a voluntary program, so you must initiate the application process yourself by letting your counselor know you are interested. The application process has three components, all of which your counselor will provide: the application itself, a contract agreeing to certain terms, and mandatory assessments. The assessments use information about your personal background to determine which programs and services will best aid your reentry to society. This includes your history of substance abuse, medical and mental health, education, family background, criminal history, and social functioning.

Once you have completed these requirements, your application will go through a rigorous screening process lasting anywhere from 30 to 60 days. Medical staff, the warden, and a classification committee will all review your application and provide their input. If you are eligible, the committee may endorse you for placement. The committee makes decisions about placement on a case-by-case basis.

Custody to Community Transitional Reentry Program (CCTRP)**

**Sometimes referred to as the “Enhanced Alternative to Custody Program”

Summary: Enables women to complete their sentences in a residential setting. Services are designed to prevent recidivism by addressing unique challenges women face upon reentry, such as gender-based trauma and mother-child relationships. From early morning until evening, participants partake in special activities and workshops, with some free time available. They may seek outside employment upon approval from the CCTRP staff, but a portion of earnings are held by the program until release.  Program Timeframe: Participants must have 45 days to two years left in their sentences at the time of placement. This means you should start asking your counselors about the program as you approach the last two years of your sentence. One day in the program is equivalent to one day of incarceration.Supervision: On-site correctional staff and contracted employees from the WestCare Foundation supervise program participants 24 hours a day. Participants must also wear ankle monitors.Locations: San Diego (San Diego County), Santa Fe Springs (Los Angeles County), Bakersfield (Kern County), Stockton (San Joaquin County).Contact: San Diego:                   (619) 359-8266                                    Westcare                                    3050 Armstrong Street                                    San Diego, CA 92117Santa Fe Springs:         (562) 236-9390                                    Los Angeles Centers for Alcohol and Drug Abuse                                    11121 Bloomfield Ave.                                    Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670Bakersfield:                  (661) 447-4666                                     Casa Aurora                                    1932 Jessie Street                                    Bakersfield, CA 93305Stockton:                      (209) 642-8488                                     Westcare                                    1609 N. Wilson Way                                    Stockton, CA 95205

Am I eligible for the Custody to Community Transitional Reentry Program (CCTRP)?

In order to qualify for the program, you must be housed at a women’s prison. In addition, the program requires that you have (1) a conviction for a serious or violent crime AND (2) 45 days to two years left in your sentence at the time of placement in the program.

How do I apply for the CCTRP?

To apply, you must volunteer to join the program. Your counselor can provide you with an application once you express interest. CDCR staff has the discretion to accept or deny applicants as it sees fit. In making this determination, CDCR staff will consider your institutional history and behavior. In particular, they will look into whether you have taken advantage of institutional program and shown a strong commitment to self-improvement.

Community Prisoner Mother Program (CPMP)

Summary: Residential program in Pomona for mothers with up to two children under the age of six who were convicted of non-serious, nonviolent offenses. Children are invited to live at the 24-bed facility. Participants develop individual treatment plans for themselves and their children, with an emphasis on substance abuse recovery. Program workshops and activities emphasize substance abuse prevention, healthy parenting, and education. Program Timeframe: Participants can serve up to six years of their sentence at the CPMP. This means interested individuals should start asking their counselors about the program as they approach the last two years of their sentences. Participants must also have more than 90 days to parole or release at the time of placement. Locations: Pomona (Los Angeles County).Contact: Regina Dotson, 909-624-1233 x2160

Am I eligible for the Community Prisoner Mother Program?

In order to qualify for the program, you must meet a strict set of criteria, which is organized below by topic.

Housing and sentence criteria:

You are eligible for placement in a Minimum Support Facility

You have no immigration or felony holds

You have up to six years remaining in your sentence after reduction for work-time credits

You have more than 90 days left before you are scheduled to be paroled or released

You are not currently committed as an active Civil Addict

Criteria related to children:

You are pregnant OR mother to a child who is six years old or younger

You have legal custody of the child

You have not demonstrated predatory sexual behavior toward children

If your child is a dependent of the Juvenile Court, you received permission from the Juvenile Court for your child’s placement

You were the child’s primary caregiver prior to incarceration

Child Protective Services has not challenged your child’s placement in CPMP

The person currently caring for the child has not challenged your child’s placement in CPMP

A court has not declared you an unfit parent

You and your child do not have current medical or psychiatric problems requiring ongoing medical treatment not offered at a CPMP facility

Disqualifying convictions:

Arson under Penal Code sections 450 through 455

Assault where you personally fired a gun or caused serious injury to the victim

Any crime that requires registration under Penal Code section 290

Any crime that received extreme public attention such that you would draw negative attention to the program  

A violent offense as defined by Penal Code section 667.5(c) (a long list that includes homicide, certain sex crimes, and robbery). However, property crimes, robbery, first-degree burglary, and drug offenses do not automatically eliminate you from acceptance into the program, but are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Similarly, if you were convicted of manslaughter or of a homicide crime committed in response to a physically abusive male partner/associate AND have no prior felony convictions or prior history of violence, you may still be eligible.  

Kidnapping under Penal Code 207

Robbery where you personally fired a gun or caused serious injury to the victim

Weapons manufacture, sale or possession (includes enhancements to a conviction for another offense)

Disqualifying conduct while incarcerated:

Attempts to escape or actual escape a penal institution

Documented “walk-away” from a non-secure institution in the last 10 years

Time in the Security Housing Unit (SHU) in the past year

Pending Rules Violation Report (CDC Form 115)

Finding of guilty of a serious rule violation during your current term of incarceration that resulted in a single credit loss of 91 days or more, or multiple credit losses of 31 days or more

Documentation of prison-gang membership or affiliation, or enemies that could jeopardize the security of the community or facility

History of adverse behavior in a community program that has led to your removal

Documented evidence of drug use in the last six months of incarceration

How do I apply to the CPMP?

CPMP is a voluntary program. A CPMP Coordinator facilitates the application procedure at each of the women’s prisons, and should provide you with an application form, which you must fill out and submit to CDCR staff. The CDCR staff then determines eligibility by looking at the nature of your crime, whether you have a history of violence, and your physical, mental, and dental health. According to a 2010 investigation by Legal Services for Prisoners with Children, this process takes anywhere from a few months to over a year

Female Community Reentry Facility (FCRF)

Summary: Pre-release program for women within three years of release. A 300-bed, dormitory style facility, it offers programming on subjects such as substance abuse, anger management, family relationships, and professional development. Also includes a supervised participant-operated hair salon. Program Timeframe: Participants must have three years left in their sentences. This means interested individuals should start asking their counselors about the program as they approach the last three years of their sentences. One day in the program is equivalent to one day of incarceration.Supervision: On-site correctional staff and contracted employees from the GEO Group supervise program participants 24 hours a day. Participants must also wear ankle monitors.Locations: McFarland, CA (Kern County)Contact: Captain Patrick Kehoe, 661-792-1078

Am I eligible for the FCRF?

In order to qualify for the program, you must have three years left in your sentence at the time of placement in the program. CDCR staff has the discretion to accept or deny applicants as it sees fit.

How do I apply for the FCRF?

To apply, you must volunteer to join the program by submitting an application. A CDCR staff member will be able to answer your questions regarding eligibility and application procedures.

Alternative Custody Program (ACP)

Summary: Individually tailored program for men and women, each of whom must create a rehabilitation plan outlining their goals. Participants are placed in transitional homes or residential drug treatment centers, based on their employment plans, transportation needs, and the need for focused services such as substance abuse treatment or parenting classes. Program Timeframe: Participants must have 45 days to two years left in their sentences. This means interested individuals should start asking their counselors about the program as they approach the last two years of their sentences. One day in the program is equivalent to one day of incarceration.Supervision: Level of supervision is determined on a case-by-case basis, as determined by a special parole agent, whose job is to monitor participants’ progress. Supervision may include electronic monitoring, mandatory drug tests, and face-to-face meetings with Division of Adult Parole Operations staff. Locations: Depends on facility. At publication, there is no list of approved facilities.Contact: Rosalyn Livingston, CDCR Contract Beds Unit, 916-464-5692

Am I eligible for the Alternative Custody Program (ACP)?

In order to qualify for the program, you must have 45 days to two years left in your sentence at the time of placement in the program. CDCR staff has the discretion to accept or deny applicants as it sees fit. Certain people are automatically ineligible for the ACP. If you meet any of the following criteria, you will not be considered for the program:

You were convicted of a violent felony as defined in Penal Code section 667.5(c) (includes homicide, certain sex crimes, and any robbery).

You were convicted of a serious felony as defined in Penal Code section 1192.7. (includes homicide, certain sex crimes, kidnapping, and certain assault crimes).

You are listed on the sex offender registry pursuant to Penal Code section 290 or have been convicted of a sexually violent offense as defined in Health and Safety Code section 6600.

You have a Static Risk Assessment score of five or higher, which means the CDCR has predicted you are likely to commit a violent offense upon release. This is calculated based on your age, gender, prior convictions, and rules violations.

You have attempted to escape a penal institution in the past five years.

You have active or potential felony holds, warrants, or detainers.

Someone has filed an active restraining order against you.

You have spent time in the Security Housing Unit or Psychiatric Security Unit within the last year.

You have a history of associated with gangs while in custody.

The Board of Parole Hearings has found that you violated a condition of parole by committing a serious or violent offense or absconding within the past two years.

You have engaged in A through C-class misconduct within the last year of being in custody. In general, this includes acts that are especially violent (murder, battery, assault), dangerous (arson, damage to valuable property), or dishonest (bribery, forgery of important records, attempts to escape). Notably, while it would typically be considered a class B or C offense, possession of alcohol/drugs may not necessarily disqualify you from the MCRP.

You meet other, undefined exclusionary criteria, which potentially includes a current medical or psychiatric diagnosis, a history of perpetrating child abuse, and the inability to find an appropriate placement site. In such cases, CDCR staff will decide to exclude on a case-by-case basis.

How do I apply for the ACP?

First, you need to obtain an acceptance letter from an existing transitional housing facility. Once you have received this letter, you may ask your counselor for an ACP application. When you fill out this application, list the facility that has accepted you as your chosen site. The CDCR must approve of the site.

Once you are determined to be eligible for the ACP, a CDCR staff member will respond within two weeks to notify you that your eligibility has been approved. Staff will then help you develop an individualized treatment and rehabilitation plan, to be used if you are accepted into the program.  

Lastly, you will receive a written notice explaining whether your application was accepted or denied. If your application is accepted, you will be released no later than seven business days after receiving written notice. If there are no free beds at your requested facility, you will be released the first day a bed becomes available.

If your application is denied, the written notice will explain the reasons for denial. You may appeal the denial through normal grievance procedures, or can reapply 30 days after receiving written notice.