The Sacramento Sheriff’s Office Reentry Services Unit at the Rio Cosumnes Correctional Center implements an innovative approach to rehabilitation by providing comprehensive, research-informed, vocational, educational, and treatment programs to incarcerated persons. The goal of providing programs to this population is to reduce the rate of incarceration and to offer them the tools necessary for successful reintegration into the community.
The Reentry Services Unit offers the Sacramento Community Resource Guide to incarcerated persons to use as a quick reference to community resources for those released from custody. This guide provides updated information on various community resources to help smooth the transition from incarceration to the community. To view the Sacramento Community Resource Guide, CLICK HERE.
The mission of the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office Reentry Services Unit is to enhance public safety with the reduction of recidivism. The Reentry Services Unit will utilize efficient, effective program approaches through collaboration with public and private community partners to assist offenders in becoming productive, accountable, law-abiding citizens. The Reentry Services Unit will provide vocational, educational, and treatment programs to equip offenders with the skills and tools for successful reentry into our community. To accomplish our mission, we dedicate ourselves to Service with Concern.
In partnership with the Elk Grove Unified School District, the education courses offered by the Reentry Services Unit are designed to improve participants’ reading and mathematics skills, establish educational goals, and promote the continuation of academic growth. Current education programs include:
This program is offered to increase a participant’s ability to effectively communicate in English, when English is not their primary language.
Designed to develop skills up to an eighth-grade level. The purpose of this course is to improve students’ reading, writing, and math skills to support their reading in vocational courses and prepare for the GED level class materials.
GED preparation covers Math, English Language Arts (ELA), Social Science, and Science content assessed by the GED examination. Students will take practice tests to prepare for the four-part exam. Once participants have successfully passed the practice tests, they may take the official GED exams on-site.
This CPS approved program uses the Parenting Inside Out curriculum. This program aims to support parents in promoting healthy child adjustment, preventing problem behaviors, and breaking the cycle of intergenerational criminality. It focuses on helping parents develop social interaction skills and citizenship behaviors that will enhance their lives and guide their children toward becoming positive, constructive adults. Additionally, participants will demonstrate growth in becoming effective communicators, problem solvers, productive workers, self-directed, lifelong learners, and engaged community members, as outlined in the Student Learning Outcomes.
The Reentry Services program emphasizes providing its participants employment readiness training and job placement assistance. To develop participants' employment skills, we offer a Job Readiness class that follows The Change Companies' Seeking Employment curriculum. This curriculum utilizes interactive journaling to cover employment skills, employment search, cover letter and resume writing, interviewing techniques, mock interviews, dress and grooming standards, personal goal setting, and guidelines for sustaining employment. Additionally, we conduct career assessments to help participants identify their interests and skills, which are used to take the first steps toward gaining employment.
Reentry Services has an in-house Employment Specialist dedicated to matching pre-screened and work-ready participants with job opportunities at local businesses. This specialist can also arrange on-site interviews for participants while they are still in custody, allowing them to potentially receive conditional job offers for immediate employment upon their release.
Outside agencies are often invited to conduct training, employment, and reentry resource presentations for participants in custody. If your agency would like to present to the reentry population, please contact us via email at Reentry@SacSheriff.com
The goal of providing vocational training within the Reentry Services Unit is to prepare participants for expectations of a professional environment and offer relevant employment training relevant in current, in-demand job sectors. Current vocational programs include:
Participants acquire skills and training necessary to solicit employment in the restaurant and food service industry. This course includes core skills in this industry such as safety, equipment and facility sanitation, food sanitation, tools and utensils, food preparation equipment, and food preparation. It also includes information on liquor laws, beverage operations, merchandising, and aspects of job readiness skills.
Participants learn fundamental procedures in custodial and housekeeping operations, which include understanding janitorial equipment and performing basic repairs. They also gain knowledge about cleaning materials and safety protocols, including training on blood-borne pathogens and managing infectious waste. Participants are well prepared for custodial employment upon completion of the course.
Participants learn how to operate and properly maintain large format printers, laser engravers, and binding machines. They will also gain experience with various design software, including Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, and CorelDraw.
Participants learn essential skills and knowledge for effective landscape design, construction, and maintenance. Participants will learn to safely and efficiently use various landscape tools, advanced pruning techniques, irrigations systems, turf management and the principles of landscape design. Key topics include site analysis, landscaping styles, plant care, soil management, and estimating maintenance costs. Upon completion, participants will be prepared for careers in landscaping and horticulture.
Participants learn about welding in a shop environment, allowing them to gain an understanding of shop safety, welding, and metal manufacturing. Participants focus on safety, design, and techniques commonly used in welding, fabrication, and metalworking careers. Participants who complete the Welding program, are able to advance their skills by working on fabrication projects, and are eligible to test to receive an American Welding Society (AWS) welding certification.
Participants are trained in vehicle inspection, suspension, steering, brakes and electrical systems. The curriculum includes over 20 subject areas, such as wheel alignment, brake system hydraulics and starting and charging systems. Participants who complete the Automotive fundamentals, are able to earn Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) certifications, an industry-recognized certification.
In partnership with the Bureau of Land Management, the Reentry Services Unit offers participants the opportunity to train and care for the well-being of wild horses. The program teaches participants basic horsemanship, equipment, gentling techniques, feeding, care and horse anatomy. Participants develop life skills through the practice of patience, humility, time management, and organization, while gentling the wild horses to become available for public adoption.
Participants learn basic skills in hive inspection and honey extraction. More advanced students are taught techniques for swarm capturing, hive splitting, and queen-rearing. All participants learn the attributes needed to be successful in the commercial beekeeping industry.
Participants learn the craft of properly making coffee and espresso drinks. They also learn how to identify various aromas and flavor profiles of coffee, calibrate espresso machines, pour latte art and understand the principles of roasting. Participants are taught the process the bean goes through from cultivation to roasting. The program is designed to not only teach the participant how to work in a coffee shop, but also give them the skills to manage and run their own business.
To deliver effective substance misuse treatment programming, the Reentry Services Unit relies on a team of Sacramento Sheriff’s Office staff and community-based providers who utilize evidence-based and research-informed practices to help guide participants toward sober and crime-free lives.
Our program strongly emphasizes cognitive behavioral therapy to teach participants effective coping skills for dealing with various issues. This type of therapy emphasizes how a person's thoughts, beliefs, and attitudes affect their feelings and actions. Our program includes the following evidence-supported interactive groups:
Includes the Substance Abuse Denial and Coping Skills journals. The Denial journal focuses on the role of denial in addiction, while the Coping Skills journal helps participants apply effective strategies for change. Participants will learn to identify warning signs and practice effective communication, stress reduction, and temptation handling.
Helps individuals identify warning signs that may lead to substance use and develop strategies to prevent relapse. It also emphasizes maintaining positive change, understanding the change process, staying motivated, and creating a plan for transitioning to the community.
Focuses on successful living skills. Financial responsibility, time management, physical health, living arrangements, legal issues, employment, and coping skills are covered. Participants also work on developing 10 good habits for success.
A gender-specific interactive journal that explores their relationship with substance use and the link to risky behaviors. Participants will learn the signs and symptoms of addiction, facts of various substances, and how to access recovery support.
Supports individuals under supervision preparing for release into the community. It targets each of the criminogenic risk areas using cognitive-behavioral therapy to develop a readiness statement, identify values, and create an action plan for strengthening those values.
A series of seven journals incorporating the latest research in mental health, addiction, and change theory.
Published by the National Institute of Corrections, it is a cognitive self-help program that helps individuals identify and address anti-social thoughts, feelings, attitudes, and beliefs. It includes social skills instruction and problem-solving skills to prepare individuals for pro-social interactions and to address challenging real-life situations.
Addresses trauma and healing. The goal is for women to establish a sense of internal and external safety. Women will learn what trauma is, how trauma and abuse have affected them, develop coping skills, and learn how to have a healthy relationship with themselves.
ManAlive, a Sacramento County certified Batterers’ Treatment Program (BTP) provider, offers participants the strategies needed to stop their pattern of violent behavior and be accountable to themselves, their families, and their community.
The Reentry Services Unit prefers to recommend the use of the FDA-approved opioid blocker naltrexone (Vivitrol®) as it does not cause dependence, can be stopped without causing withdrawal, and can treat both opioid and alcohol abuse disorders.
The injectable form of Vivitrol® only needs to be administered once a month and does not require daily dosages for maintenance, creating more stability for participants. During the custody period, Reentry staff coordinates with Adult Correctional Health Services (ACHS) medical staff to evaluate participants. Once approval is obtained, the participants can begin injections or oral dosage while in custody. Reentry staff ensures participants are scheduled for their follow-up dosage after release from custody and confirms this is built into their exit plan.
For participants whose clinical diagnosis shows Vivitrol® not to be the best form of treatment, additional forms of MAT may be available through ACHS, including methadone and buprenorphine.
The Reentry Services Unit has found that removing tattoos is a positive step towards successful reintegration into society, as having visible or offensive tattoos on the face, neck, or hands can make it challenging to secure employment.
Reentry Services partners with a company who provides fully self-contained, ADA-compliant mobile tattoo removal units that function as mobile doctors' offices. These units are equipped to operate behind the secured perimeter of our correctional facility and are typically staffed by Registered Nurses (RN) with extensive training in laser tattoo removal. An administrative laser technician supports the RN, and a physician oversees the process.
The tattoo removal program is voluntary and starts while the individual is in custody, with follow-up services offered to participants upon their release into the community.
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