An inside look at a Prison and the Role of Volunteers

Today was not our usual California Commission on Service and
Volunteering (California Volunteers) meeting.  We spent the afternoon
touring the historic Folsom Prison.  Behind the massive stone walls, we
saw a glimpse of today’s prison life.  We walked through the cell blocks,
through the cafeteria and saw some of the programmatic facilities.  The
most sobering part of the visit was a walk through the recreation yard amongst
the inmates.  The State of California has a real problem when it comes to
its 33 prisons.  The expense, overcrowding and a 72 percent recidivism
rate. We were invited to tour the facility by the California Department of
Corrections and Rehabilitation.  The prison system has a long history of
utilizing volunteers for such programs as Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics
Anonymous and various other inmate classes.  There is a need to provide a
more cohesive and direct community resources approach to supplement the
rehabilitation programs with clear employment pathways.  This certainly is
one of the more challenging opportunities that faces California Volunteers and
the Department of Corrections, but the need is critical as we work to help
solve one of society’s most pressing issues.  www.cdcr.ca.gov