Victor Fontanez, aka Vic Blends Barber Academy, opened inside Valley State Prison, which is the first licensed barbershop operation in a US prison.
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The school’s goal is to provide incarcerated people with the skills to earn a state barber license upon release, setting them up for long-term career stability. The idea formed from a conversation between Fontanez and longtime mentor and friend producer Scott Budnick, who is also the co-founder of the Anti-Recidivism Coalition (ARC).
“We hope that prisons across the nation will take notice and open their eyes to what real rehabilitation can look like,” Fontanez said.
Check out details from the grand opening: https://deadline.com/2025/08/vicblends-barber-school-california-prison-1236481337/
