California Prison Reform Initiative Shows Promise Through Rehabilitation and Peer Support
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Allen Burnett, who was released after serving 28 years following a sentence commutation, now leads a nonprofit that trains formerly incarcerated individuals as certified peer support specialists. This work is part of a broader California prison reform initiative emphasizing rehabilitation, which has shown positive outcomes in reducing self-harm in facilities. The program plans to expand to Orange County in early 2026.
Facts First
- Allen Burnett was released from prison after Governor Gavin Newsom commuted his life sentence in 2019.
- Burnett co-founded Prism Way, a nonprofit that trains formerly incarcerated people to become certified peer support specialists.
- The California Model reform initiative emphasizes trauma-informed staffing, education, and rehabilitation.
- Peer counseling in Los Angeles County jails coincided with decreased self-harm and fewer transfers to psychiatric hospitals.
- Prism Way plans to expand its training program to Orange County with a cohort for young adults set for early 2026.
What Happened
Allen Burnett was released from prison after serving 28 years. Governor Gavin Newsom commuted his sentence in 2019 after the parole board determined he was no longer a threat to society. Burnett, who earned a college degree with magna cum laude honors through an in-prison program, is now the co-founder and executive director of Prism Way, which trains formerly incarcerated individuals to become certified peer support specialists. In 2022, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) began a similar training program for incarcerated people. At the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in downtown Los Angeles, this peer counseling coincided with a decrease in self-harm and fewer transfers to forensic psychiatric hospitals.
Why this Matters to You
If you or someone you know interacts with the justice system, these developments may signal a shift toward more rehabilitative approaches that could improve outcomes. The expansion of peer support programs could lead to better mental health support within correctional facilities, which federal estimates show house a higher percentage of people with diagnosed mental illnesses than the general population. For communities, such initiatives might contribute to safer reintegration of returning citizens; data from the Board of Parole Hearings indicates fewer than one percent of people released from life-with-parole sentences... were convicted of a new violent crime within three years.
What's Next
Prism Way plans to expand to Orange County in early 2026 to train young adults between the ages of 18 and 25. The continued implementation of the California Model, a prison reform initiative inspired by Norway’s system, could lead to further adoption of trauma-informed staffing, education, and rehabilitation programs across the state.