Most people deserve a second chance, and with the Joint Venture Program, inmates are given an opportunity to right some wrongs. The statewide program is managed by the California Prison Industry Authority and allows prisoners to gain work experience and job skills training while contributing to worthy causes.
In Marin, a partnership between Labcon North America and San Quentin pays offenders wages comparable to what they would earn if they were working outside of prison. Their earnings are divided equally after taxes for inmate prison room and board, an inmate trust/canteen account, victim family support, mandatory inmate savings and victim restitution.
The Jeanette Prandi Center, Marin Advocates for Children, and the Center for Domestic Peace were the 2015 recipients of the victim restitution funds in Marin. “We know that many of today’s prison inmates were victims of child abuse. Left untreated, today’s victims can become tomorrow’s victimizers,” says Marin County District Attorney Ed Berberian. Here are the numbers.
