CDCR Opens New Male Reentry Program in Fresno

FRESNO - The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) announced today the opening of a new Male Community Reentry Program (MCRP) in Fresno, marking the first community reentry program launched by CDCR since 2020.

The milestone event brought together CDCR leadership, community partners and local stakeholders to celebrate the expansion of rehabilitative services designed to support a safe and successful return to the community.

MCRP and its companion Female Community Reentry Program (FCRP) provide voluntary, evidence-based programming for eligible individuals with two years or less remaining on their prison sentence. Participants complete the remainder of their sentences in a secure, community-based facility where they have access to substance use disorder treatment, employment readiness and vocational training, educational opportunities, connections to healthcare services and family reunification support.

As participants progress through structured in-house programming, they may become eligible for approved off-site passes to pursue employment or higher education.

Research has shown that these programs reduce recidivism. A 2021 Stanford Public Policy study found that an MCRP participant's likelihood of re-arrest decreases the longer they are in the program. Those who participate in MCRP for at least nine months see their likelihood of re-arrest decrease by 13% and the likelihood of reconviction decrease by 11%.

MCRP, launched in 2015, operates in seven locations, with approximately 700 current participants. FCRP, launched in 2014, operates in six locations, with approximately 400 current participants.

For more information about CDCR's community reentry programs, visit: https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/rehabilitation/pre-release-community-programs/mcrp/ and https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/rehabilitation/pre-release-community-programs/fcrp/.