Eight Shasta County, California-area residents graduated from the Shasta County Day Reporting Center’s program on July 21, raising to 77 the number of former offenders who have successfully completed the program and re-entered the community.
According to county officials, only 10 DRC graduates have committed a crime after graduation, meaning the program’s sub-13-percent recidivism rate is well below the California rate, which has long hovered around 65 percent.
DRC participants quoted in the Record Searchlight spoke highly of the stability provided by the program, as well as the understanding of DRC counselors. DRC participants, who are all on probation, are expected to pass multiple drug tests and behave in accord with the terms of their probation. They also take classes on proper job interview behavior and attend counseling sessions to find the root causes of their actions.
The DRC recently added a second substance abuse counselor and a new class, “Thinking for Change.” The program also invites graduates back to speak with current participants and encourage them to see the program through to the end.
The DRC was opened in 2013 in response to AB 109, which dramatically re-aligned the state’s prison population and shifted thousands of prisoners convicted of felonies to probationary programs run at the city and county level.
GEO Reentry Services works with Shasta County and communities across the country to provide high-quality re-entry services for offenders looking to meet the terms of their probation and embark upon a better, more productive life. GEO Reentry centers, like the one in Shasta County, operate on evidence-backed systems and build connections with communities to ensure a productive relationship.
Community outreach efforts at the Shasta County DRC have included a Celebrate Success BBQ, a softball game involving staff and program participants and a river rafting trip. The DRC has also worked with local employers, such as Costco, Denny’s and Walmart, to provide job placement for program graduates.