STAT BAR
58 counties · Federal BOP + CDCR · 4 state reentry programs · 3 BOP RRM regions
KEY CALIFORNIA FACTS
California has the largest state prison system in the US - largest reentry population of any state
Three BOP RRM offices cover California (more than any other state except possibly Texas):
RRM Sacramento: northern CA, eastern CA, Guam, Hawaii, northern Nevada
RRM Los Angeles: southern California, southern Nevada
RRM San Francisco: central California area (verify split with Sacramento/LA)
CDCR operates FOUR distinct community reentry programs for state inmates
STOP (Specialized Treatment for Optimized Programming): largest CDCR parolee program
~450 halfway houses and treatment centers statewide
Run by 4 private contractors + ~200 nonprofits/subcontractors
Provides free housing and rehabilitation for parolees
BOP FEDERAL RRC CONTACTS (California)
RRM SACRAMENTO (northern/eastern California):
RRM Sacramento Office: 501 I Street, Suite 9-400, Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 288-4266 / Fax: (916) 930-2008
Email: RRM_Sacramento@bop.gov
Coverage: northern CA, eastern CA, Guam, Hawaii, northern Nevada
RRM LOS ANGELES (southern California):
Coverage: southern California, southern Nevada
Contact: via bop.gov
Pull full facility list from: federalcriminaldefenseattorney.com/federal-bureau-prisons/california/rrm-los-angeles/
RRM SAN FRANCISCO (central California):
Coverage: verify exact coverage area
Contact: via bop.gov
Pull all California federal RRC listings from: bop.gov/business/rrc_directory.jsp (filter CA)
CDCR STATE COMMUNITY REENTRY PROGRAMS - FOUR TRACKS
PROGRAM 1: MALE COMMUNITY REENTRY PROGRAM (MCRP)
Launched: 2015
Locations (as of August 2025): 8 sites
Current participants: ~700
Eligibility: Male, 2 years or less remaining on sentence, voluntary
Key locations:
- San Francisco: 6th Street MCRP (HealthRIGHT 360) - 200 beds (180 CDCR + 20 parolees)
Address: 6th Street, San Francisco (exact address via CDCR)
Phone: (415) area code - confirm
- Los Angeles County: MCRP facility on Wilshire Blvd / S. Bonnie Brae Street area
- San Diego County: MCRP facility (exact address via CDCR)
- Fresno: NEW - opened August 19, 2025 (first new MCRP since 2020)
- Additional locations: pull from cdcr.ca.gov/rehabilitation/pre-release-community-programs/mcrp/
Services: SUD treatment, mental health, employment, education, housing, family reunification, vocational training
Supervision: Ankle monitors required; CDCR staff + contractor staff on site 24/7
Research: 2021 Stanford study - 9+ months in MCRP reduces re-arrest likelihood by 13%, reconviction by 11%
URL: cdcr.ca.gov/rehabilitation/pre-release-community-programs/mcrp/
PROGRAM 2: FEMALE COMMUNITY REENTRY PROGRAM (FCRP)
Launched: 2014
Locations (as of 2025): 6 sites
Current participants: ~400
Eligibility: Female, 2 years or less remaining on sentence, voluntary
Key locations:
- San Diego: FCRP facility in Kearny Mesa area
- Los Angeles area: FCRP facility
- Additional locations: pull from cdcr.ca.gov/rehabilitation/pre-release-community-programs/fcrp/
Services: Same as MCRP - SUD, mental health, employment, education, housing, family reunification
Supervision: Ankle monitors; CDCR staff + contractor staff 24/7
URL: cdcr.ca.gov/rehabilitation/pre-release-community-programs/fcrp/
PROGRAM 3: ALTERNATIVE CUSTODY PROGRAM (ACP)
Electronic monitoring alternative - allows serving sentence at approved home or treatment facility
Not a residential halfway house - note as separate option
Eligibility: Specific criteria per CDCR; may include nonviolent offenders
URL: cdcr.ca.gov/parole/alternative-custody-program/
PROGRAM 4: COMMUNITY PARTICIPANT MOTHER PROGRAM (CPMP)
For incarcerated mothers with minor children
Allows serving sentence at approved community facility with children
Very small program - limited locations
URL: cdcr.ca.gov/parole/community-participant-mother-program/
STOP PROGRAM (PAROLEE HOUSING)
Specialized Treatment for Optimized Programming (STOP)
Purpose: Post-release parolee housing and rehabilitation
Scale: ~450 halfway houses and treatment centers statewide
Structure: 4 private contractors manage program; subcontract with ~200 nonprofits and for-profit providers
Funding: State funded; doubled over past decade
Note: CalMatters 2023 investigation found oversight gaps - state data outdated; some conflict of interest issues with contractor self-review
This is PAROLEE housing (post-release) - different from MCRP/FCRP (pre-release/still serving sentence)
For families: parole officer refers parolees to STOP providers; families cannot apply directly
CDCR Division of Rehabilitative Programs: cdcr.ca.gov/rehabilitation/
HOME-ARP REENTRY HOUSING PILOT PROJECT
$16 million federal (HUD HOME-ARP funds) + CDCR partnership
Purpose: Permanent affordable housing for CDCR parolees
Governor Newsom announcement: October 31, 2024
Administered by: California HCD + CDCR Division of Parole Operations
Note: First state-level permanent housing investment specifically for reentry population
URL: hcd.ca.gov/sites/default/files/docs/grants-and-funding/home-arp/home-arp-reentry-amended-nofa.pdf
KEY LAW FACTS
Sex offender residency restrictions: Proposition 83 / Jessica's Law (2006)
Original: 2,000 feet from schools and parks
Modified by courts: In re Taylor (2015) - blanket residency restrictions for parolees unconstitutional as applied
Current status: Restrictions still apply but implementation varies by county/parole conditions
Many MCRP/FCRP facilities and halfway houses do not accept sex offenders
Jessica's Law restrictions affect housing availability significantly in urban areas
CDCR reentry resource: cdcr.ca.gov/rehabilitation/pre-release-community-programs/
CDCR facility locator: cdcr.ca.gov/facility-locator/
Root & Rebound: rootandrebound.org - major nonprofit legal aid for reentry
INTRO
If your loved one is approaching release from a California prison, the reentry housing system here is more varied - and more complex - than in most states. California operates four distinct community reentry programs through CDCR, plus a sprawling network of roughly 450 parolee housing and treatment facilities under the STOP program, plus federal RRCs under three separate BOP regional offices. Knowing which track applies determines what is available and how placement works.
For federal inmates, California is covered by three BOP Residential Reentry Management offices - more than almost any other state, reflecting California's size. RRM Sacramento covers northern and eastern California. RRM Los Angeles covers southern California. Federal RRC placement is arranged by the BOP case manager beginning 17-19 months before release; families do not apply directly.
For state inmates, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation runs two flagship programs: the Male Community Reentry Program (MCRP) - 8 locations, approximately 700 participants - and the Female Community Reentry Program (FCRP) - 6 locations, approximately 400 participants. Both are voluntary. Both require 2 years or less remaining on the sentence. Both use ankle monitoring and 24/7 CDCR-supervised residential facilities where participants access employment, education, substance abuse treatment, and housing assistance. A new MCRP opened in Fresno in August 2025 - the first new site since 2020.
For parolees already released, the STOP program connects approximately 450 halfway houses and treatment centers statewide, run by private contractors and nonprofits under CDCR contract.
HOW FEDERAL RRC PLACEMENT WORKS IN CALIFORNIA
Three BOP RRM offices cover California:
RRM Sacramento (916-288-4266): northern and eastern California
RRM Los Angeles: southern California including Los Angeles, San Diego, and surrounding areas
RRM San Francisco: central California (confirm exact coverage)
The BOP process mirrors every other state: unit team review begins 17-19 months before release; RRM office coordinates placement near the release address under the First Step Act. Federal inmates can earn up to 12 months of RRC time through Earned Time Credits from programming completions.
HOW CDCR STATE REENTRY PROGRAMS WORK
The MCRP and FCRP are pre-release programs - participants are still technically serving their sentence in a community-based facility rather than a prison. Key facts:
- Voluntary: inmates apply through their CDCR counselor
- 2 years or less remaining at time of placement
- Ankle monitors required throughout the program
- CDCR staff plus contractor staff supervise 24/7
- Participants earn day-for-day credit (one day in program = one day of sentence served)
- Off-site passes for employment or education granted as participants progress
- Recidivism outcomes: Stanford 2021 study found 9+ months in MCRP reduces re-arrest likelihood 13%
Families can support MCRP/FCRP placement by encouraging the inmate to apply through their counselor. The application is voluntary - CDCR counselors have discretion to approve or deny.
ALTERNATIVE PROGRAMS
The Alternative Custody Program (ACP) allows some state inmates to serve their sentence on electronic monitoring at an approved home or residential treatment facility - bypassing a traditional halfway house entirely. Eligibility is more specific; ask the CDCR counselor about ACP as an option.
The Community Participant Mother Program (CPMP) is a small program specifically for incarcerated mothers with minor children - one of the few programs in the country allowing children to live with an incarcerated parent in a community setting.
SEX OFFENDER RESTRICTIONS IN CALIFORNIA
California's sex offender residency restrictions under Proposition 83 (Jessica's Law, 2006) originally prohibited registered sex offenders from living within 2,000 feet of schools and parks. The California Supreme Court significantly modified this in In re Taylor (2015), ruling blanket restrictions on parolees unconstitutional as applied in densely populated areas. However, individual parole conditions may still include geographic restrictions. Many MCRP/FCRP facilities and halfway houses do not accept sex offenders. In Los Angeles and other dense urban counties, available compliant housing is extremely limited.
CALIFORNIA REENTRY RESOURCES
CDCR Division of Rehabilitative Programs: cdcr.ca.gov/rehabilitation/
CDCR MCRP program: cdcr.ca.gov/rehabilitation/pre-release-community-programs/mcrp/
CDCR FCRP program: cdcr.ca.gov/rehabilitation/pre-release-community-programs/fcrp/
CDCR Inmate Locator: inmatelocator.cdcr.ca.gov
Root & Rebound (legal aid nonprofit): rootandrebound.org / (510) 279-4662 - statewide reentry legal help
California Legal Services: lawhelpca.org
211 California: dial 211 - statewide referral for housing and services
California Department of Social Services: cdss.ca.gov
BOP RRM Sacramento: (916) 288-4266 / 501 I Street, Suite 9-400, Sacramento, CA 95814
COUNTY GRID
All 58 California counties - pills linking to city directory pages
Frequently asked questions
Q: What are MCRP and FCRP?
A: The Male Community Reentry Program (MCRP) and Female Community Reentry Program (FCRP) are California's flagship state halfway house programs, allowing eligible inmates to serve the last two years of their sentence in a community-based facility instead of prison. Both are voluntary and require an application through the inmate's CDCR counselor.
Q: How is California different from most states for reentry housing?
A: California has four distinct state programs (MCRP, FCRP, ACP, CPMP), three separate BOP regions, and the massive STOP parolee network of roughly 450 providers. The system is more complex and fragmented than almost any other state.
Q: How does a state inmate get into MCRP or FCRP?
A: The program is voluntary - the inmate must apply through their CDCR counselor. Eligibility requires 2 years or less remaining. CDCR has discretion to approve or deny. Families can encourage their loved one to apply early since space is limited.
Q: What is the STOP program?
A: Specialized Treatment for Optimized Programming - CDCR's largest parolee (post-release) housing network, connecting approximately 450 halfway houses and treatment centers run by private contractors and nonprofits under state contract. Parole officers refer parolees to STOP providers.
Q: How many BOP halfway house regions cover California?
A: Three - RRM Sacramento (northern/eastern CA), RRM Los Angeles (southern CA), and RRM San Francisco (central CA). Federal inmates are placed by the BOP based on their release address.
Q: What do California sex offender housing restrictions look like?
A: Original Prop 83 restrictions (2,000 feet from schools/parks) were modified by courts for parolees in In re Taylor (2015), but individual parole conditions may still restrict geography. Many facilities do not accept sex offenders. Los Angeles and other dense urban areas have very limited compliant housing options for registrants. TruthFinder WIDGET Search California inmate and arrest records DATA SOURCE NOTICE Federal RRC data: BOP RRM Sacramento (916-288-4266), RRM Los Angeles, RRM San Francisco - bop.gov/business/rrc_directory.jsp California MCRP locations: cdcr.ca.gov/rehabilitation/pre-release-community-programs/mcrp/ California FCRP locations: cdcr.ca.gov/rehabilitation/pre-release-community-programs/fcrp/ STOP program providers: CDCR Division of Rehabilitative Programs - cdcr.ca.gov/rehabilitation/ Root & Rebound: rootandrebound.org / (510) 279-4662