STATE PRISON CRISIS COMES HOME -- DAILY

In any California town, on any given day, the crisis in our state
prisons comes home. Every day, former offenders are released from
prison with no plan and few skills, ill prepared to live crime-free
in the real world. Reentering our communities and reoffending in such
massive numbers, they have emerged as the primary threat to public
safety in California.

This year, more than 120,000 former offenders will be released across
our state. History has shown that more than 70 percent of them will
be returned to prison within three years. Recidivism is not just a
statistic. Behind every arrest is a new crime and a new victim. In
addition, taxpayers will foot the bill to return repeat offenders to
prison -- to the tune of more than $34,000 a year for each offender,
according to the San Francisco Sheriff's Department.

It is a dangerous and expensive cycle. To address it, we must move
past scare tactics and resolve that, while we stand tough on crime,
we will also be smart on crime. For some offenders that may mean
longer prison sentences. Others need more supervision while on
parole. For nonviolent offenders, being smart means ensuring that
they transition to law-abiding citizens. Today, as the Legislature
and governor grapple with prison reform, we have an historic
opportunity to break the cycle of recidivism by channeling former
offenders away from crime and into productive lives, making all of us safer.

We can and must make a substantial investment in protecting public
safety through offender accountability and employment. This is a
bipartisan issue. Our legislative leaders and Gov. Arnold
Schwarzenegger have recognized the importance of reentry. Now is the
time to commit serious resources and attention to this proven public
safety strategy. We think the solution is clear: Hold former
offenders accountable and put them to work. A detailed, sustained,
statewide reentry effort can reduce prison overcrowding, protect
crime victims and keep our neighborhoods safe. Such an effort would include:

- -- Investing in more parole officers for intensive supervision of parolees.

- -- Requiring inmates to learn how to successfully reenter society --
detailed reentry planning and mandatory literacy classes should start
as soon as they enter prison.

- -- Preparing nonviolent former offenders for entry into
apprenticeships in multiple industries.

- -- Moving former offenders into jobs after they are released.

- -- Creating incentives for employers to hire nonviolent former offenders.

For most former offenders, we know that employment is key to
successful reentry into society. An individual working a living-wage
job is far less likely to commit crime and far more likely to give
back to his or her community. Putting people to work also means that
they and their families are no longer a drain on public services. The
opposite is also true: A lack of employment opportunities directly
relates to increased public costs and repeat offending. We know that,
a year after release from prison, 60 percent of reentering former
offenders are unemployed. It's hardly a coincidence that a majority
of them will end up quickly reoffending.

We also know that reentry strategies focused on employment are
effective, both in preventing crime and saving taxpayer dollars. For
example, the San Francisco District Attorney's Office has created a
citywide Reentry Council, and pioneered a new accountability and work
force initiative for reentering drug offenders called "Back On
Track." After nearly three years, everyone in Back On Track is
employed or in school, and fewer than 10 percent of participants have
reoffended. At $5,000 a head, it is also a bargain. This year, Back
On Track will save the city of San Francisco $2 million. Across the
country, other reentry programs are also showing remarkable results.

We are at a critical moment in California's dialogue on public
safety, and we have before us a tremendous opportunity to prevent
former offenders from becoming repeat offenders. With so much at
stake and so many of them returning to our communities every day, we
must hold them accountable and put them to work. It is the tough
approach and the smart approach, for crime victims and for all of us.