Can I get into a transitional housing program if I am still incarcerated?

It depends on the program. Unfortunately, most post-release transitional housing programs will not let you fill out an application or get on the waitlist before your release. A few let you apply from inside prison or jail, but may have other requirements or restrictions. Go to Appendix B on PG. 409 for a partial list of transitional housing options in California that may accept residents who write to them from inside prison or jail.

BUT NOTE: In recent years, the CDCR has introduced several pre-release transitional housing programs designed to let people to carry out the last part of their sentence in a controlled community setting.These are alternatives to traditional incarceration that typically provide for greater freedom. Participants remain under the CDCR’s jurisdiction and control and are NOT on parole or other post-release supervision. In that sense, these programs are very different from the posts-release housing options discussed here. For more information on CDCR-sponsored pre-release programs see PG. 345.