SACRAMENTO, Calif. — It’s been nearly a year since Isaac Sanchez was paroled after nearly 18 years in prison for battery assault with a deadly weapon and other crimes.

He credits a cash grant from the state’s Helping Justice-Involved Reenter Employment (HIRE) program for playing a key role in helping him stay on track.

What You Need To Know

  • California state budget faces a $12 billion budget deficit

  • Over 7,000 formerly incarcerated people have received help through the state's HIRE program, with the more than $50 million in funding allocated in the state budget two years ago — averaging $2,400 per person

  • No new funding has been allocated in the governor's revised budget

  • Poverty-focused research group MDRC conducted a study and found participants were much less likely to violate parole with direct cash payments than those who didn’t receive payments.

“So, getting that HIRE grant relieved the stress of having to worry about providing for my family,” Sanchez said. “I was able to get a car. I was able to get a job. Now, I don’t need to go out and do anything crazy. I can get a job because I have a car now. And so, for me, it really, really was a big thing. And I’m extremely grateful.”

Officials at the Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO), the state’s largest HIRE program partner, said over 7,000 people have received assistance through more than $50 million in funding allocated in the budget two years ago, averaging about $2,400 per person.

With funding limited to two years and no new money in the governor’s revised budget, it’s a significant loss, given that California spends nearly $1 billion annually on re-incarcerating parole violators, and why the program matters, said Genevieve Rimer, Senior Director at CEO.

“They tap into upskilling and training,” Rimer said. “They access need-based payments [money for things like a car, boots, etc]. They secure employment. We know that they’re going to be less likely to return back to incarceration.”

A new independent review now shows that short-term aid could lead to long-term benefits.

The poverty-focused research group MDRC conducted the study and found participants were much less likely to violate parole than those who didn’t receive payments.

Gov. Gavin Newsom said the state is facing a projected $12 billion deficit and plans to spend over $320 billion.

The governor’s budget proposes another prison closure by Oct. 2026, which would save the state money and bring the total number of prisons closed by the governor to five.

The recently passed Proposition 36, which is tougher on crime, will likely increase prison populations slightly in the coming years, according to the governor’s revised budget.

Chris Hoene is Executive Director of the nonpartisan nonprofit California Budget and Policy Center, and said federal policies are having a real effect on the state’s budget.

He said prison closures are an option.

“The reality is that the state could close several more prisons than the governor is even anticipating,” Hoene said. “The governor’s proposing one. The state could probably close three to four and would save hundreds of million dollars a year.”

With the budget not finalized, supporters of the HIRE program and others who help those on parole said they will continue to advocate for renewed funding.

It’s funding that will be well served, said Isaac, who will soon begin a new job with the Anti-Recidivism Coalition, helping newly paroled individuals get back on their feet, because he knows how easy it is to slip up.

“These kinds of jobs mean a lot to me because, helping people like myself, I know how hard it was when I got out,” Sanchez said.

Sanchez said thanks to the amazing support he’s gotten, he’s been able to stay on the right track and wants to pay it forward.