News & Policy Updates
Explore the latest updates from ARC
Passing the Torch: How ARC’s Retreats Build the Next Generation
An Interview with Carlos Cervantes and Cynthia Wong from ARC’s Member Services Department ARC held its 2026 annual retreat on Jan 30th-Feb 1st in Lake Hughes, CA, bringing together members, alumni, youth, staff, and allies for a weekend of healing and connection. This marked the first retreat led by longtime ARC staff member, and newly appointed Director of Member Services, Carlos Cervantes. ARC's communications associate, Vanessa Gutierrez, spoke with Carlos and Cynthia Wong, on behalf of the Member Services team, about the enduring power of ARC’s retreats, and the amazing thing that happened when ARC’s OGs met ARC’s youth. Vanessa: Carlos, can you talk about your first retreat? Carlos Cervantes: My first retreat was in 2011. I was welcomed home. I was treated with respect. It was my initiation into[...]
What’s It’s Like to Visit a Prison
Ever wanted to know what goes on inside prisons? ARC’s Communications and Advocacy Strategist, Josh Pynoos, details a visit to a prison to observe ARC’s HART program. Today, I’m visiting a prison to attend two Hope and Redemption Team (HART) classes at CCI Prison, better known as Tehachapi. It’s just under a two-hour drive from Los Angeles to Tehachapi. It’s a hazy, smog-filled early November morning. Once we pass Los Angeles, the landscape opens into a mostly barren desert, with oil wells pumping steadily alongside rows of spinning wind turbines visible. This is Kern Valley, California. You don’t just show up in[...]
On the Recent Events in Minnesota
This past weekend, we witnessed the killing of another innocent U.S. citizen at the hands of the Department of Homeland Security and ICE. We are horrified and infuriated by this senseless tragedy, and heartbroken for the families of Alex Pretti, Renée Good, Keith Porter, and the many others who have been harmed. We are also deeply concerned for members of our own community here in California, who are frightened for themselves and their loved ones. Please know that ARC remains a place of safety, hope, and healing. If you need anything, do not hesitate to reach out. ARC is made up of[...]
Prince Harry Visits Anti-Recidivism Coalition’s Ventura Training Center
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, visited the Ventura Training Center (VTC) to see firsthand how the program trains formerly incarcerated people to continue their careers as firefighters. During the visit, Prince Harry met with firefighter cadets and program staff and learned how the Ventura Training Center prepares people who served on incarcerated fire crews to transition home and reenter the firefighting workforce. The Ventura Training Center provides firefighter training and certification, along with rehabilitation and job-readiness support that helps participants succeed after completing the program. Participants earn industry-recognized credentials and pursue career opportunities with CAL FIRE and other firefighting agencies across[...]
ARC Celebrates 15 New Graduates from San Bernardino Workforce Apprenticeship Program, Paving the Way for Building Trades Careers
The Anti-Recidivism Coalition proudly announces the graduation of 15 formerly incarcerated individuals from our San Bernardino Second Chance Apprenticeship Readiness Program, which prepares formerly incarcerated people for union careers in the building trades. Over a rigorous 7-week program, graduates gained the skills, certifications, and hands-on experience needed for meaningful careers. Participants earned industry-recognized certifications, including MC3 Certification, OSHA-10 Safety Certification, and CPR & First Aid Certification, and trained in construction math, blueprint reading, and tool identification. Graduates received hands-on experience across trades, including carpentry, electrical, plumbing, ironwork, laborers, sheet metal, and operating engineers. Many are already interviewing or in dispatch processes, taking[...]
It’s Been One Year Since Prop 36 Passed. Is Mass Treatment Working?
It’s Been One Year Since Prop 36 Passed. Is Mass Treatment Working? By Josh Pynoos You might have forgotten about Proposition 36, last year’s CA ballot measure that increased penalties for retail theft and certain drug offenses. After all, the wave of news stories about “spikes” in retail theft has largely disappeared from local coverage. Supporters of the initiative claimed it would usher in “mass treatment” and help people struggling with addiction enter recovery programs. But the early data tell a different story. In the year since voters overwhelmingly passed Proposition 36, court records show that only 25 people statewide have completed[...]
Raising The Youth (Department): A Q&A with Jason Holland and Edwin Paragas, ARC’s New Co-Directors of Youth Development Programs
Raising the Youth (Department): A Q&A with Jason Holland and Edwin Paragas, ARC's New Co-Directors of Youth Development Programs A conversation with Jason Holland and Edwin Paragas about their journey from incarceration to working with youth, their vision for ARC, and how youth development creates new pathways for formerly incarcerated youth. Question: Why did you start working with youth? Edwin: I still remember how it felt being incarcerated at age 12. So while I was inside state prison, I always felt like I needed to give back to the people I’d harmed. When I was released from state prison in 2019, I[...]
Governor Gavin Newsom Signs Bill To Raise the Pay of Incarcerated Handcrews Into Law
Governor Gavin Newsom has just signed our bill, AB 247, into law, which raises the pay of incarcerated handcrews! This is a historic step in honoring the hard work and sacrifice of incarcerated hand crews who have put their lives on the line to protect homes and communities across California. We are deeply grateful to Governor Newsom for signing this bill into law and to Assemblymember Isaac Bryan for championing this effort to ensure incarcerated handcrews finally have a wage that reflects their dignity. Because of Assemblymember Bryan’s hard work, incarcerated handcrews will get paid immediately. We’re also thrilled that the Governor[...]
Correcting The Record: Jared Villery’s Journey From Jailhouse Lawyer To ARC Expungement Program Manager
Correcting the Record: Jared Villery's journey from jailhouse lawyer to ARC Expungement Program Manager By Josh Pynoos The first thing you notice about Jared Villery is his suits. Each day, he wears a different color that shines in the California summer sun. He has thirteen suits in rotation, many of which are made of Italian cloth, featuring a range of lush colors. From afar, you might think he’s an investment banker or a Hollywood power player. But Jared is neither of those things. And he used to wear a different uniform for over 20 years, prison blues. Today, Jared serves as[...]
Our Bill To Raise Wages For Incarcerated Handcrews Passed the CA Legislature!
During the LA Fires, many people learned that incarcerated handcrews earn just $1 on the fireline and asked what we could do. Now, our bill to raise the wages of these heroic first responders has passed the CA legislature and heads to the Governor’s desk to be signed into law. AB 247 raises pay for incarcerated handcrews on active fires to the federal minimum wage of $7.25/hour (and yes, the federal minimum wage still needs to go way up). Also on the Governor’s desk is SB 245, a bill that will increase expungement opportunities for formerly incarcerated fire camp participants, and AB[...]
Op-Ed: I Mentored The Menendez Brothers. Here’s Why I Have Hope For Them
When Lyle Menendez first showed up for my class at Richard J. Donovan prison, I was only familiar with his trial from the media. By the time his brother, Erik Menendez, arrived a few years later, I had a better understanding of the abuse the brothers experienced and the depth of their genuine remorse. For the last eight years, I have facilitated rehabilitative programming inside prisons for the Anti-Recidivism Coalition’s Hope and Redemption Program. Led by formerly incarcerated people like myself, I help people in prison confront their trauma, take accountability and gain insight into the harm they’ve caused, preparing them[...]
Hope and Redemption (by the Numbers!)
By Emma Newman When Chris Dodds began serving a 26-to life sentence in the ‘90s, he had no hope of ever leaving prison. But as California began to pass new laws, he realized that he could one day live a life outside the walls. That was when he learned about the Anti-Recidivism Coalition (ARC)’s Hope and Redemption Team (HART). Since 2017, HART has entered prisons throughout California with the goal of reducing recidivism from the inside. In the program, formerly incarcerated people return to prisons as life coaches to teach classes designed to reduce criminal behavior. Beginning in seven prisons, the[...]
Read our Hope and Redemption Team Impact Report
We’re pleased to release a report on the impact that our Hope and Redemption Team (HART) has had on incarcerated individuals across California, helping them prepare for the parole board while engaging in transformative rehabilitative programming. In 2017, we launched the HART team to send formerly incarcerated people back inside to provide parole and reentry programming to currently incarcerated community members. Today, HART programming is in over 30 prisons across California, including women’s facilities. Key findings include: The HART team reaches over 25,000 individuals incarcerated in California. 95% of respondents reported fewer violations while enrolled in the program. The HART program[...]
A New EV Training Program Launches for the Formerly Incarcerated Community
Taking Charge: A New EV Training Program Launches for the Formerly Incarcerated Community By Emma Newman On August 4, nine formerly incarcerated people gathered, with their friends and family, to mark an enormous milestone. After twelve weeks of studying, attending classes and training on cars, they had finally become trained Electric Vehicle Maintenance Technicians. The graduation celebrated the first cohort in a new program that trains formerly incarcerated people the basics of operating, maintaining, trouble-shooting and commissioning electric vehicles. The program served as a collaboration between the Anti-Recidivism Coalition (ARC) and two electric vehicle companies, InCharge and LogiTech. In the program, participants[...]
New Report Highlights the Success of Community-Based Reentry in CA
A new report from the State of California underscores the power of community-based reentry programs in reducing recidivism. According to the data, people who have participated in state-based community reentry programs are significantly less likely to be arrested, convicted, or return to prison after release. Key findings include: Men in community reentry programs are 34% less likely to reoffend than those who do not participate. Women are 44% less likely to reoffend. Programs like those offered by ARC provide safe, structured pathways for individuals to transition home, gain critical life skills, and access resources that promote long-term success. With California announcing plans[...]
ARC Teams Up with Barber-Entrepreneur Vic Blends to Launch Barber Academy at Valley State Prison
Victor Fontanez, aka Vic Blends Barber Academy, opened inside Valley State Prison, which is the first licensed barbershop operation in a US prison. . 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[...]
ARC Applauds the Announcement of CRC Prison Closure in 2026
In 2026, California Rehabilitation Center (CRC) is set to close, marking the fifth prison to close in California since 2020. Today, California’s prison population is lower than it was in 1990. With robust reentry services and more second chance programming across the state, we can continue to bring people home from incarceration successfully and create pathways away from prison and into our communities. We are grateful to Governor Newsom for continuing his plan to close prisons across California, proving we don't need to invest in prisons to create public safety.
“We Told Each Other We’d Meet at ARC”: How ARC’s Front Desk Interns Welcome People Home
“We Told Each Other We’d Meet at ARC”: How ARC’s Front Desk Interns Welcome People Home Written by: Josh Pynoos, ARC's Communication and Advocacy Strategist At the Anti-Recidivism Coalition (ARC), the front desk is more than just a reception area. It’s often the first stop for people returning home from incarceration and the entry point into ARC’s vibrant community. It’s also where you’ll find Walter, Izar, and Joshua, ARC’s front desk interns who help take care of the office, doing this work for the members and those still behind the walls. For many people coming home, the ARC office represents a beacon[...]
On the River, Formerly Incarcerated People Celebrate Their Freedom
On the River, Formerly Incarcerated People Celebrate Their Freedom Written by: Emma Newman, ARC Communications Intern For three days, dozens of formerly incarcerated people, from 20-somethings to men who had been incarcerated for decades, go out to the river without their phones. Most of them have never been river rafting, and yet all of them decide to take the plunge and take to the white water. “We all cried on this river, bro,” Joshua, a recent participant, said. “All them years in prison, never being in water like that, looking up in the sky at nighttime and just seeing miles in the[...]
Read ARC member Fausto Lopez’s story in Men’s Health Magazine
After ten straight days battling L.A.’s wildfires and a grueling 24‑hour shift on the Eaton Fire, 20-year-old Fausto Lopez, a Pine Grove incarcerated firefighter, got life‑changing news at the Rose Bowl basecamp: not only was he being released, he’d earned a scholarship to Cal State San Bernardino. Through loss, back‑breaking shifts, and internal fights for redemption, he never stopped pushing. Now, he’s clear on his mission: “Now,” Fausto says, “I’m trying to be who I am.” Click here to read Fausto’s full journey in Men’s Health Magazine.
The First 48: How the Ride Home Program Helps People Face the Fear of Freedom
The First 48: How the Ride Home Program Helps People Face the Fear of Freedom By Josh Pynoos When someone is released from a California state prison, they’re handed $200 in gate money, a number that has remained unchanged since 1973. Many people exiting prison have lost touch with their community and often don’t have someone to pick them up. Instead, they’re dropped off at the nearest bus station with no itinerary, no reentry guide, not even a printed map. “We come from a life in institutions where people are assaulted, where there are riots, where you see people get stabbed and[...]
Meet ARC’s New Interim Executive Director!
We are pleased to announce that Rob Woronoff has joined the Anti-Recidivism Coalition (ARC) as our Interim Executive Director, while we search for someone to lead our next chapter! Rob brings over 30 years of leadership experience working with and on behalf of youth, families, and justice-impacted communities. Most recently, he served as Interim Executive Director of the California Youth Connection (CYC), and previously led Sanctuary Palm Springs, a housing program for transition-age foster youth His career spans national leadership roles at the Child Welfare League of America, directing PREA implementation projects with Just Detention International, and leading the Probation Training Program[...]
SB 672 is Alive and Well!
We are writing to provide an important update regarding SB 672—a bill that has brought us closer than ever to recognizing the humanity and potential for growth in those aged 18 to under 26 at the time of their offense. The leadership of the bill (Senator Rubio, The National LWOP Leadership Council, the Anti-Recidivism Coalition, Human Rights Watch, Latino Justice, and the University of Southern California Gould School of Law Post-Conviction Justice Project) has made the strategic decision to pause movement on the bill until January of 2026. This gives us time to preserve the original intent of the bill, counter misinformation,[...]
ARC’s Statement in Solidarity with our Immigrant Community
We are heartbroken by the disturbing display of force used against so many of our community members this weekend, not to mention the increase in ICE presence and raids that preceded it. As a reentry organization helping people with conviction histories, we were not surprised by the early rhetoric targeting our community first. It’s the first step in an all-too-familiar playbook to normalize the overuse of force under the guise of “removing criminals.” Sadly, recent events in Los Angeles have shown us how this playbook always unfolds. We are deeply alarmed by reports of raids on student graduations and various workplaces, targeting[...]
Young Adult LWOP Bill Passes the CA Senate!
SB 672, the Youth Rehabilitation and Opportunity Act, authored by Senator Rubio, has officially passed the California Senate! This bill provides a second chance to individuals who were 25 years old or younger at the time of a crime that resulted in a life without parole (LWOP) sentence. Under SB 672, they would be eligible for a Youth Offender Parole hearing after serving 25 years. SB 672 has earned broad support from criminal justice advocates, crime survivors, human rights organizations, faith leaders, and labor unions across the state. We are grateful to the Senators who voted in favor of this important legislation.[...]
