Sheriffs from Santa Barbara, San Benito and San Luis Obispo counties said that they are committed to public safety and want to cooperate in partnering to site a secure community re-entry facility adjacent to the Estella Correctional Facility in Paso Robles.

That was the message of officials from the three counties, who were joined by key state planning officials from California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the city of Paso Robles and the public who convened at the 150-acre state-owned site on Wednesday for one of two town hall meetings focusing on the prospects of a future tri-country 500-bed facility.

The meeting was sparked by the latest information that Santa Barbara County had jumped on board and the facility size could double from its former 250-bed projection. There are currently no re-entry facilities online in the state of California. The first one to come online will be in the city of Stockton.

State officials said they are confident that the new system — a major change in the way state corrections does business — will work and help reverse the “revolving door” where parolees are left with $200 and a bus ticket with nowhere to go and eventually return back to prison. The end result of that system is what state officials emphasized was the worst recidivism rate in the nation, whereby 70 percent of parolees return to prison.

“I am confident [the re-entry model in California will work] because we have consulted with many national experts who have really told us what works and their mistakes, and the delivery of that kind of treatment intervention is something that we have experience in,” said Carole Hood, CDCR’s Chief Deputy Secretary for Adult Programs.

Hood, who has worked for 30 years in the health and human services profession for state government, said that all states have been more successful in different regards but that “part of our problem has been the significant overcrowding in our institutions.”

“It really has hindered our ability to provide rehabilitation,” she said. “California was a leader in doing rehabilitative programming. The changes over these last couple of decades has meant [rehabilitative programming] has become less and less. It’s not that people here haven’t known how to do it; it’s just that we haven’t had the ability given the limitations on space.”

The three counties have expressed interest in partnering to site the secure community re-entry facility in Paso Robles adjacent to the Estella Correctional Facility, a nearby vineyard, business park and municipal airport. Access to the site has not been determined.

It wasn’t until recently that Santa Barbara County solidified its commitment.

A majority of Santa Barbara County’s parolees come from its northern boundaries, a majority of those in Santa Maria, according to Cmdr. Thomas L. Jenkins. Santa Barbara County’s returning parole number fluctuates and runs approximately 700 to 1,000 per year.

Per the restrictions of Assembly Bill 900, re-entry facility’s are designed to accommodate a maximum of 500 beds, no more and are aimed at rehabilitating prisoners and reducing recidivism and dangerous prison overcrowding. AB 900 is a bipartisan measure to reform the state’s prison system and provide for 16,000 rehabilitative beds.

The Paso Robles site, which sits on about 60 vacant acres behind the actual boys school, was originally envisioned to house a 250-bed proposal with a commitment from San Benito County for about 50 inmates and an estimated 200 from SLO County. It wasn’t until “the eleventh hour,” as Sheriff Bill Brown said, that Santa Barbara County was legally forced by the restrictions of AB 900 to back out of a commitment with the state to operate a joint prison-secure community re-entry facility in their county due to a misunderstanding over who would operate the facility. The county had intended to operate the facility, but the state said that’s not legally permitted.

All three sheriffs, meanwhile, said on Wednesday that they would transport the parolees back to the counties of last legal residence upon release from the 500-bed reentry facility, which would include an estimated 250 inmates from Santa Barbara County, 200 from SLO County and 50 from San Benito County.

State officials said the forum was geared to provide an opportunity for the public to hear more about the reentry facility proposal and the commitment to public safety from each of the three sheriffs.

City Councilmen Duane Picanco, Fred Strong and John Hamon and Paso Robles Police Department Chief Lisa Solomon were in attendance at the afternoon meeting. The Paso Robles City Council must approve a resolution of support in order for the project to move forward, officials have said. Re-entry facilities will be built in cities, counties or regions willing to partner with CDCR, officials said.

If all goes as state officials hope, the facility still wouldn’t open until at least a few years, according to projections by Kathy Prizmich, Deputy Chief of External Affairs for CDCR.

“This is going to take a few years,” she said. “It’s not going to happen overnight.”

Despite the pledges by the three sheriffs and apparent lobbying by the state for the community to accept the new concept, there were still some concerns as echoed by the council members, Solomon and public.

Picanco said he was concerned about whether or not the prisoners would return to their last cities of residence or simply be released to the county of residence.

In response to whether inmates would return to their last city of residence, Hedges said, “Not necessarily.” He said that they’re looking at a housing plan. Family support and their job situation could also factor in, he said.

Strong highlighted the projected number of parolees in Santa Barbara County and asked how they plan on handling them, as well as the county’s ability to make it happen.

Brown reinforced the idea that Santa Barbara County will transport the prisoners, would have no problem filling the 250 beds and that they would be in close contact with the parolees to ease the continuity of services.

Solomon said it is her job, when sitting at the table, to look at the project’s downsides. She said she is working to ensure that there is proper buildup to serve the community and that the issues presented before the city will be expounded upon in an Environmental Impact Report.

“There are many concerns that we know the community has,” she said, adding that the city will be working with the state for the best possible proposal before taking it to the City Council.

Some members of the public came out in favor of the proposal, such as Matthew Green, Ph. D., director of workforce, economic development and community programs for Cuesta College, who said that the institution is behind the idea.

Joe Avila, executive director for Prison Fellowship, said that the faith-based program would help benefit the inmates and provide opportunities for outreach that would benefit both the community and the inmates.

Others, like Paso Robles resident Kathy Barnett, fired off questions about the disadvantages of such programs, what the concrete impacts it would have on city infrastructure and why the city of Paso Robles can’t partner with Santa Barbara County for a facility in their county, among other things.

State officials said the facility could provide programs and services like substance abuse treatment, vocational training and job placement, education, anger management classes, family counseling, housing placement and other services to help aid in the transition from incarceration a life free of recidivism and recurring crime in the future. Local communities and the state would create improved continuity of care to provide support services.

It was an approach commended by all three sheriffs.

“Re-entry is a subject that is near and dear to my heart,” Brown said.

Brown outlined the success of a similar effort in his county that’s been three years and 15 years in planning and discussion. He said re-entry is “a line of thinking that makes perfect sense.” He said that the “logic of it is irrefutable.”

San Benito County Sheriff Curtis Hill echoed that sentiment.

“Our commitment is to reduce victims,” he said, highlighting the fact that in their respective county, they have been working for 18 months on improving the continuity of services offered both during and after the re-entry rehabilitative process.

SLO County isn’t the only location being identified for siting re-entry facility. The state authorized the conversion of the former Stockton-based Northern California Women’s Facility to a 500-bed secure re-entry facility that will house male offenders for up to 12 months prior to parole with offenders returning to San Joaquin, Calaveras and Amador counties.

In addition, the CDCR is engaging in ongoing communication with local stakeholders to ensure that continuity of service will exist once an offender is paroled. That could create potential partnerships with local organizations and groups who can offer such services, state officials said.

“I would hope that you would support this kind of program,” Hedges said.

For more information on the re-entry concept, visit www.cdcr.ca.gov.





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