Transformative Programming Works

A unified voice for community organizations offering programs in California state prisons.

The Failing System

95% of California's incarcerated citizens will reenter society
44% will be reincarcerated within 3 years of release
Only 1 of 31 California prisons is fully served today

A Model That Works

Community-based organizations (CBOs) reduce reincarceration to 21%
Led by people from the communities most affected by incarceration
Lifelines to the community upon reentry

TPW's Impact

Community-based organizations (CBOs) reduce reincarceration to 21%
Led by people from the communities most affected by incarceration
Only 1 of 31 California prisons is fully served today

What is a CBO?

Small, local nonprofits with a collective impact.

more effective at keeping people from returning to prison

When you've been told you are worthless, and someone from your community shows you that you actually are worth something, that is a transforming experience.

Triple Impact Model

Financial leverage

26:1

Every $1 invested in TPW unlocks $26 in annual state funding to CBOs

Reach & scale

19,043

Every $1 invested in TPW unlocks $26 in annual state funding to CBOs

Effectiveness

44%→21%

$1 invested in rehabilitation saves $5 in incarceration costs. 500 years of incarceration avoided.

The 1% Campaign

Raise California's annual rehabilitation budget from 0.2% to 1%
$140M/yr to CBOs
Fully serve all 31 with our rehabilitation model
95,215 is about how many can be reached with $140M — almost the entire incarcerated population

While we are driven by a sense of humanity, we are grounded in data.

All incarcerated people should have access to quality programs.

We advocate at the state level for increasing access to transformative and rehabilitative CBO programming for all people living in California prisons, and to accelerate the impact of sentencing reforms towards our North Star goal of decarceration.

Internal · member organizations

Reporting is now one form, once a quarter.

Member organizations submit program cycles through the intake — same fields as the Collective Impact sheet, no re-typing, no spreadsheet round trip. Not a public form.

Member intake →

We believe everyone is capable of being better than their worst moments.