Sixteen people at Wasco State Prison are leaving a classroom with job certifications and a plan for life after release.
On Wednesday, 16 incarcerated individuals graduated from a vocational program run through CalCTRA, a state program that prepares incarcerated people for the workforce.
At Wasco State Prison, CalCTRA offers training in trades such as facilities maintenance, data entry, and industrial skills. Graduates said the lessons went beyond the classroom, describing how they learned a trade, built confidence, and developed professional skills.
“It’s a good program for incarcerated individuals, and it does help people instill confidence within themselves,” said graduate Rafiki Bogar. He said the program gives people “the mentality to go and get a job” and the confidence to keep it.
Also at the ceremony was Justin Ennis, a formerly incarcerated CalCTRA alum. Ennis shared his story with the graduates and explained how he used his CalCTRA training and job opportunities after release to start his own business.
“I get to give back to my community,” Ennis said. “That’s very meaningful to me, and I hope it motivates others to do the same.”
CalCTRA says 85% of its graduates do not return to prison. Director Suzie Changus said the program’s impact goes beyond technical training.
“We train them in trades and careers, but a lot of what they get is general soft skill training,” Changus said. "That includes showing up to work, acting professionally around coworkers, taking direction from authority, and learning how to ask for things, such as a raise, and how to interview."
For one graduate, the moment carried deep meaning. “It means everything,” the graduate said. “I came from nothing, so it means everything.”
Across California, about 5,600 incarcerated people are enrolled in CalCTRA programs.
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