Our Open Door Program Produces Amazing Success Rates for Parolees

Finding a job when you have a felony on your record can feel insurmountable to men and women exiting the prison system who often have no resources, no support system and little to no work experience.  Add mental health issues, substance abuse problems and challenging economic times, returning to prison often becomes a grim reality for many people who want a fresh start.  

There are 125,097 parolees in California*

Access to a community re-entry program is vital to the success of someone transitioning out of jail or prison. 
 
Open Door Community, the Weingart Center’s critical intervention program, starts preparing individuals for community reintegration before they are released by sending Open Door case manager, Greg Mena, into jails and prisons to conduct life skills classes. He also advocates for parole, helps people move into a transitional facility where they have more resources and encourages adopting a positive lifestyle. 

In the last year of the 3-year program, Open Door Community had 80% of its participants complete educational training and employment preparation, and placed 50% of participants in full-time employment with 100% retaining their jobs for a minimum of three months!  These success rates are even more astounding given the population.  For example, 45 year-old Kimberly had never really worked before yet now she has a full-time job as an airport shuttle driver, which she loves, and is on her way to fulfilling her dream of being a truck driver! 

The Open Door program collaborates with the LA County Sheriff’s Department Community Transition Unit, the California Department of Corrections and parole agents.  The Sheriffs were so impressed with the Open Door Community program’s success rate, they presented Greg Mena and the Weingart Center with an appreciation award. 

To what does Greg attribute the success?  “I see beyond someone’s immediate status— homeless or incarcerated— to help them to change their way of life and realize a positive attitude can make a huge difference,” says Greg Mena.  “I’m not here to change anyone but to motivate them to do the best they can.  I do this from my heart.”

Unfortunately, despite the Weingart Center’s high success rate with Open Door Community, the program ended in 2009 due to state budget cuts, which are also causing early and/or unsupervised releases from prison.

*As of January 1, 2009, California Department of Corrections