“Providing this high-tech program to female offenders is a win-win for Californians, not only will these women benefit from the training when it comes to getting a job, it reduces the likelihood they will return to prison, ultimately saving taxpayers money in the end,” said Charles Pattillo, General Manager of CALPIA.

The average offender costs California taxpayers $60,000 a year in state prison. With a recidivism rate of less than 15 percent, CALPIA’s CTE programs are some of CDCR’s most successful vocational training programs.

CALPIA is proud to partner with Autodesk to help incarcerated individuals learn real-world job skills so they can find meaningful employment when they return to their communities.

CALPIA utilizes all three Autodesk software programs including AutoCAD, Revit, and Inventor and there are many success stories.

Incarcerated individuals in our Computer-Aided Design program earn those industry accredited certifications with the help of Autodesk. This software expands incredible career opportunities for those looking for that second chance to improve their lives.

In the United States, nearly 2.3 million people are incarcerated in federal, state, and local prisons at any given time, and more than 95 percent of these individuals will be released back into society. The North Dakota Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (NDDOCR) became an Autodesk Authorized Training Center (ATC®), in part, to give credentials to incarcerated individuals who are either enrolled in our education department offering, or participating in Roughrider Industries job skills training program. The NDDOCR was searching for a certification that would be both recognized and accepted in the business community and would provide releasing individuals with the best chance at career opportunities. Employment is one of the most important factors in decreasing recidivism. The NDDOCR would like to thank ThinkEDU and the ATC program for being part of the rehabilitative process.