to male inmates, Santa Rita jail hopes to expand the program to the female population in the future. Currently on its sixth cohort of training
as of late 2025, the program saw its first group of 12 men graduate in May of 2024. Among that group, one of the participants even requested to stay an extra month or so at the jail just so he could complete the program. During a segment that aired on KTVU
Channel 2 in spring 2024, Alameda County Sheriff Yesenia Sanchez pointed out the benefits that she said this ground- breaking program offers to inmates looking to reintegrate as contributing members of society upon release. “If we truly want to see people entering
our communities with a clear vision as to what they are going to do so that they can stay out of incarceration, whether it be a county jail facility or city facility, we have a responsibility to give them some tools to be able to achieve much more than just getting a job that will pay minimum wage,” Sheriff Sanchez said during the broadcast.
Model for Others Now two years in, the Laborers preap- prenticeship program at Santa Rita Jail is widely viewed as a model for others to follow. And the interest in it is clear, as outside tours and inquiries are a reg- ular feature at this and other facilities where the Laborers training programs are operational. “People have heard about it and come
tour it from other parts of California and other states, as they are considering implementing the same type of program in their respective areas,” said Gonzales. “It is definitely viewed as a successful, benchmark program.” While the Santa Rita jail program is the first of its kind in an Alameda County detention facility, it is far from the first
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