CALIFORNIA – Governor Gavin Newsom and California lawmakers included $10 million in the recently approved FY 2026 budget to sustain the Helping Justice-Impacted Reentry Employment (HIRE) grant program.
This funding aims to support workforce development and reentry services for individuals transitioning from incarceration.
Assemblywoman LaShae Sharp-Collins said the $10 million for HIRE shows the Legislature’s growing focus on reentry and workforce development as key to public safety and fiscal responsibility.
Through HIRE, the Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) and its partners have provided nearly $600,000 in direct cash payments and connected over 1,200 Californians to essential services.
Prop 47 savings dwindling after passage of Prop 36
Center for Employment Opportunities CEO Sam Schaeffer said Prop 47 savings have dried up after the passage of Prop 36 and it’s crucial California invests in programs that support justice-impacted people.
Prop 47 reduced prison sentences for certain nonviolent offenses, generating savings that funded rehabilitation programs.
With the passage of Prop 36, longer prison sentences are more common again, reducing the cost savings created by Prop 47 and limiting available funds for reentry support.
Boost public safety
Advocates say reentry investments cut re-offense rates and boost public safety.
A Stanford University Study on the Male Community Reentry Program (MCRP) found that participants who engaged in the program for nine months experienced an 11 percentage point decrease in reconviction rates compared to those who did not participate.
“We know that when people coming home have access to stable jobs, housing, and community support, they’re far more likely to succeed and that’s how we achieve the safety that every community and neighborhood in this state desires and deserves,” said Californians for Safety and Justice Partnerships Director Saun G. Hough.
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