October 8, 2009
CDCR eliminates effective, proven rehab program due to budget cuts
…"Guys who get out, for the first 24 hours, what they want to do is take their money, get high, get a woman and they're back in jail in no time," Alexander said. "So getting prison out of the mind is getting to a place where you know what you need to do, the types of steps you need to do to be like us."
Alexander says veteran inmates who master the three-year program serve as mentors to help newcomers deal with their emotions. Those who do get out receive post-prison support so they continue treatment.
But the program that once put Donovan on the map in California's prison system is going away. It is one of the casualties as the department of corrections slashes $280 million in rehab programs.
Inmate Oscar Mayorca says these programs are the only things making a difference in the lives of prisoners…
LINK - KPBS.org
