It’s graduation day for Angela Sanchez of Santa Barbara. But, she’s not getting a high school or college diploma. She’s graduating from a program that helped her restart her life after years of drug addiction and a decade in state prison.
"I was an opiate user for the past 50 years, so this is the first time in my life that I didn't want that in my life anymore," said Sanchez.
Sanchez was paroled from state prison two years ago after being convicted of assault. She had nowhere to go and didn’t know what to do next. However, she connected with a nonprofit program called the Santa Barbara Day Reporting Center, which helps former state prison inmates restart their lives.
"I came home October 8th, 2023, and I was introduced to the DRC. I did not want to be there," she admitted.
But she knew she needed help. The center’s staff helped her find a place to live and secure a job. They also supported her battle against addiction.
"I act different now. I'm kind and loving towards others, and where I work is really helping me," said Sanchez. She's managing a center that hosts group meetings for different forms of addiction.
A nonprofit agency called Community Solutions runs the Day Reporting Center in Santa Barbara and one in Santa Maria.
"We work largely with reentry, so we work with people who are returning to the community from prison, and we also do a lot of work with young people to prevent them from going into the criminal justice system," said Fernando Muniz, CEO of Community Solutions.
"It's a voluntary program. We provide them with case management, support for reentering the community, substance abuse treatment, and other kinds of support they'll need to be successful," said Muniz. "We used to say that we were in the business of second chances, but we're probably in the business of third or fourth chances. We're always here to provide folks with support."
The Day Reporting Centers are designed to give newly released inmates the help they need to restart their lives.
"They're unemployed and homeless. So, we help integrate them into housing," said Jennifer Barretto, California Area Director of Operations for Community Solutions. She talked about their clients.
"They cover the spectrum. A majority of them are high-risk offenders, meaning their recidivism rate is high, likely to return to incarceration. That's what we're really aiming that, trying to get their recidivisim rate down, so they don't reenter incarceration."
More than 20 inmates from the Santa Barbara and Santa Maria programs graduated this month.
Santa Barbara Day Reporting Center Program Director Melinda Johnston said it’s a great feeling for the staff members who helped. She added that it’s a tribute to those restarting their lives.
"At the end of the day, they did it. We helped guide (them). We were a great support, but they did the footwork. They did a lot of work to get here," said Johnston.
The program has a roughly 75% success rate in helping its graduates create new lives for themselves and avoid reoffending.
Sanchez said two years after her release from prison, she has kicked her decades-old drug habit, has her own apartment, and a job. The Santa Barbara woman feels like she’s getting a second chance at life.
"I did a 360 all the way around. It's so much better...so much better," said Sanchez.
