Jails to Jobs Letter of Support
February 4, 2026
Dear Budget Leaders:
The signatories to this letter support the Vera Institute of Justice’s, NextGen California's, and the Michelson Center for Public Policy’s request for $40 million in one-time Labor and Workforce Development Fund investment in the FY2026-27 budget to launch a pilot program called “Jails to Jobs” (J2J) that integrates workforce development for Californians in pretrial proceedings.
The requested $40 million in funds would be spent over three years across a diverse pilot cohort of four counties to demonstrate how integrating workforce development at the pretrial stage can expand economic mobility, enhance public safety, help meet urgent workforce needs, and lay the groundwork for a future statewide model.
In order to fully meet the needs of these communities, the cost of this program is estimated at $40 million to operate for three years. However, recognizing the many demands on the State budget, alternative funding scenarios are outlined in this letter to demonstrate how smaller investments could still support pilot implementation.
Problem
Many people eligible for pretrial release or diversion lack access to meaningful workforce development opportunities that could significantly change their life trajectories. Current workforce interventions for justice-involved populations generally serve people only after they have been convicted or released from prison. This misses a critical opportunity to intervene earlier: before a conviction is ever imposed and further complicates employment prospects, and when stable employment can have the greatest impact on both individual outcomes and public safety.
At the same time, California faces acute labor shortages in key sectors, such as healthcare and the skilled trades. These industries not only represent areas of high demand and importance to the State, but also offer strong career pathways, particularly for people who have been justice-involved.
Together, these realities expose a critical gap: the absence of integrated workforce development programs at the pretrial stage that connect people to high-quality jobs. Failing to address this gap perpetuates cycles of poverty and justice involvement, undermining public safety and economic resilience.
Solution
Jails to Jobs directly addresses this gap by embedding workforce development within pretrial release/diversion programming. J2J expands the pretrial services ecosystem to include pathways to meaningful employment out of recognition that employment is foundational to reducing incarceration and promoting long-term success.
In essence, J2J adapts an existing model from the post-conviction context (where employment-focused interventions have demonstrated promising, positive results) and moves it upstream to the pretrial phase. By intervening pretrial, J2J offers training and support at a moment when people have the greatest chance to secure meaningful, stable employment and avoid additional barriers to economic mobility. And, by prioritizing training for roles in high-quality sectors like healthcare and the skilled trades, J2J additionally helps fill important workforce gaps while supporting meaningful career paths and financial stability for participants.
This pilot concept presents a commonsense approach that can advance the State’s priorities around public safety, workforce innovation, and equitable economic opportunity simultaneously.
Proposal
This pilot seeks $40 million in funding to support and expand capacity for agencies involved in pretrial services/diversion and workforce development across participating counties, leveraging existing local infrastructures and tailoring approaches to county-specific needs. These integrated networks will create a full pipeline from pretrial release or diversion to job placement, enabling them to sustain employment and avoid reinvolvement in the system.
Conclusion
California’s long-term prosperity depends on being a livable state, where all residents have access to good jobs and economic mobility. J2J advances that vision by connecting people eligible for pretrial release/diversion for low-level, non-violent felonies with robust job training and light-touch behavioral health supports, helping people build skills and careers that strengthen families and communities while reducing justice system involvement.
Thank you for your consideration. For additional information about this letter or proposal, please contact Danica Rodarmel (danica@wholeconsulting.org) or Maria Rafael (mrafael@vera.org).
Sincerely,
The Undersigned
Individuals
Angelee Dion
Anna Loeb
Carolina Goodman
Cody Sloan
Colette Krinock
Daniel Munoz
Emily Fernandez
Francisco Villarruel
Giovanni Pesce
Jordan Sale
Julio Landaverde
Khadijah Shabazz
Lauren Wolchok
Leslie Potenzo
Luisa Magarian
Mark Misoshnik
Natalie Salinas
Nick Shapiro
Olliver Pettit-Perez
Pamela Sexton
Rebecca Green
Renée Levine-Blonder
Rita Giles
Robbi Nester
Robert Hassebrock
Rosemary Bornstein
Sam Ruben
Scott Sale
Storm Green-Loe
Susan Conforti
Susan Kohen
Tania Ibanez Virnia
Organizations
ACLU California Action
A New Way of Life Reentry Project
Amity Foundation
Bend the Arc: Jewish Action California
Black Women for Wellness Action Project
Bigger Than You Inc.
Buen Vecino
Building Careers Foundation
California Black Power Network
Center for Employment Opportunities
Center For Living and Learning
California Families Against Solitary Confinement
California Latinas for Reproductive Justice
Californians for Safety and Justice
California Immigrant Policy Center
Californians United for a Responsible Budget (CURB)
Care First California
The Change Parallel Project
Chrysalis
Communities United for Restorative Youth Justice (CURYJ)
Community Works
Courage California
Dignity and Power Now
Drug Policy Alliance
Empowering Women Impacted by Incarceration
Essie Justice Group
End Child Poverty California powered by GRACE
Fair Chance Project
Friends Committee on Legislation of California
Friends Outside
Friends Outside in Los Angeles County
Future Fire Academy
Gavilan Joint Community College
Gente Organizada
Get It Together
Glide Foundation
GRID Alternatives
Hang Out Do Good (HODG)
Healing and Justice Center
Homies Unidos Inc.
Indivisible CA: StateStrong
Initiate Justice
Initiate Justice Action
Inland Region Reentry Collaborative
InsideOUT Writers
Jesse’s Place Organization
Justice2Jobs Coalition
La Defensa
LA Voice
Legal Services for Prisoners with Children
Los Angeles Mission
Los Angeles Regional Reentry Partnership (LARRP)
Mass Liberation
Michelson Center for Public Policy
NextGen California
Operation New Hope
Prosecutors Alliance Action
Pride In Truth
Ready to Work
REDF
Reentry Health Advisory Collaborative
Restoration & Resilience Alliance
Restoring Hope California
Reversion 36
Rubicon Programs
San Francisco Public Defender's Office
Sister Warriors Freedom Coalition
South Asian Network
Southeast Asia Resource Action Center
Showing Up For Racial Justice Santa Cruz County
The Excellent Way Foundation
The Social Impact Center
Tia Chucha's Centro Cultural
Urban Peace Institute
Vera Institute of Justice
Watts Labor Community Action Committee
Youth Justice Coalition
