Every year, 30,000 people are released from jails and prisons in California. More than half of them will end up back behind bars. But a new program in Oakland aims to break that cycle, using the experience of those who were once on the inside.
"This is one of the bedrooms," said Lamar Simms as he proudly toured the brand-new building he will soon call home. He got his release from prison after more than 30 years, but was accepted into an innovative program because of the hard work he put in to change his life while behind bars.
is operated by a non-profit called Creating Restorative Opportunities and Programs and will feature psychological counseling, job training and placement, a $1,000 per month stipend and - perhaps most important of all - 12 months of housing at the complex. The new facility can support more than 200 formerly incarcerated individuals. The program also includes a partnership with Google to provide job training and placement within the tech community. The nearly $30 million in funding came from philanthropic and workforce development organizations under theinitiative, but the program itself is being designed and operated by formerly incarcerated people like Brianna Rogers, Initiative Director for ReWork the Bay.
"It's either, do I keep doing the same stuff that I've been doing my whole life, or do I completely change every aspect of my being and operate in a different way?" said Bermudez.
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