Are you Ready 4 Life
A year to build a new life after incarceration
Apply
If you’re ready to commit to a year of personal growth and career development, start by checking that you meet our eligibility criteria. Then, choose the application method that works best for you, or scroll for more information.
If you would like to send an application to a friend or family member who is currently incarcerated, please click ‘Apply by Mail’ above. You will then be able to print and mail an application to them, which they can return directly to CROP. Please note that applicants must complete their own application materials.
Program Overview
Ready 4 Life helps people build new lives after incarceration through a 12-month fellowship offering personal leadership coaching, career training, and hands-on support navigating life after prison.
The program is rooted in experience–designed by people who served life sentences and led by a team of coaches who’ve walked this path themselves. We know that rebuilding a life after incarceration takes time. That’s why, rather than short-term interventions, Ready 4 Life fellows receive a year of sustained support as they face immediate reentry challenges and work towards long-term stability. Our support spans many of the areas that shape life after prison, including employment, housing, digital literacy, financial literacy, mental health, and community building.
CROP currently offers Ready 4 Life in the Bay Area and Southern California.
Bay Area
The Bay Area Ready 4 Life program includes a year of free accommodation on CROP’s Oakland campus, with classes held in person.
The first three months are an intensive 9-to-5 experience, giving fellows the time and space to build a strong foundation for life after incarceration. Fellows then move into their chosen career tracks, building specialized skills and pursuing employment while continuing to receive coaching and individualized support throughout the year.
Southern California
The Southern California Ready 4 Life program operates a hybrid model, with programming held primarily online in the evenings so participants can work alongside the fellowship. As a primarily virtual program, we do not offer fellows housing in Southern California. Fellows usually enter the program with their own stable housing.
The first three months focus on building a strong foundation in personal leadership, digital literacy, financial planning, and employability. Fellows then move into their chosen career tracks, building specialized skills and pursuing employment while continuing to receive coaching and individualized support throughout the year.
Program Structure
Ready 4 Life supports fellows across four pillars designed to address the challenges of rebuilding a life after incarceration.
-
Coming home can be joyful! It can also be overwhelming. The right mindset makes all the difference to how someone’s reentry journey unfolds.
This pillar includes:
Personal leadership coaching: Fellows build a proactive, responsible mindset and create a clear vision for the future, with practical steps to get there.
Policy advocacy: Fellows in the Bay Area receive policy advocacy training, tour the capitol, and have the opportunity to engage legislators throughout the year.
Community service: Fellows give back and strengthen connections with the community through twice-monthly service projects.
-
The job market moves quickly. Developing practical skills can open the door to sustainable, living-wage careers.
This pillar includes:
Digital literacy: Fellows build the digital, communication, and problem-solving skills needed to navigate today’s world and workplace.
Career exploration: Fellows explore different industries, build professional confidence, and prepare for sustainable careers.
Career track instruction: Fellows gain industry-recognized skills and certifications through specialized instruction in one of three career tracks (subject to change): Tech sales; Counseling and peer support; Finishing trades (currently only offered in the Bay Area).
-
Finding a job is one thing. Building a fulfilling career is another.
This pillar includes:
Job search and placement: Fellows build resumes and cover letters, prepare for interviews, and develop effective job search strategies.
Professional development: Fellows learn how to present their skills and experience, build professional relationships, build their online brand, and navigate the recruitment process.
Mentorship and networking: Fellows connect with mentors, employers, and Fair Chance Hiring partners to build relationships and explore career opportunities.
-
We want our fellows to thrive, not just survive. Our wraparound services address common barriers people face in their reentry journey.
This pillar includes:
Reentry support: Fellows receive regular, individualized case management throughout the year.
Mental health services: Fellows have access to one-on-one support with a licensed therapist and participate in group therapy sessions with others in their cohort.
Financial literacy and credit repair: Fellows build foundational financial skills, including saving, credit building, and debt recovery.
Rental readiness: Fellows prepare to secure and maintain housing through education on tenant rights and the housing search process.
Graduate Outcomes
To date, CROP has served 239 fellows in the Bay Area and Southern California. Graduates leave with stable employment, secure housing, stronger financial foundations, deeper support networks, and greater confidence in their ability to build the life they want.
None of CROP’s graduates have returned to prison, despite a 39.5% recidivism rate across California.
CROP is partnered with Public Profit, an independent evaluation firm, to explore the efficacy of Ready 4 Life and its impact on fellows. The graduate outcomes given above are drawn from Public Profit’s interim findings. A final evaluation is forthcoming.
Testimonials
-
Joseph Beaman
“I was in prison for nearly 24 years, and when I got out, I had very little idea how to navigate life as a productive citizen. That's where CROP stepped in. CROP truly helped me get on my feet, providing the vital support and community I needed. Because of CROP, I am now an AI Solutions Engineer with Checkr, and they even helped me secure my first permanent housing, which felt impossible at the time.”
-
Liz Lozano
“CROP has been the best investment I've ever made in myself. I joined two days after being released from a 30-year juvenile life sentence. There were many times I nearly gave up from feeling overwhelmed, but CROP's coaches kept reminding me that quitting would only mean giving up on myself. Today, thanks to the tools I gained through CROP, I work as Program Coordinator of Inside Membership with Initiate Justice and Assistant Director of Inside Initiatives with the Institute of the Arts and Sciences at UC Santa Cruz. I have my own place, a new car, remote work, and the ability to give back to my community.”
-
Luis Del Horno
“Two years ago, I came home after serving 23 years. Being a part of Cohort 4 gave me the crucial support to build a stable, meaningful life: I'm working with the Local 3 Painters Union, I'm a full-time student at Berkeley City College, I have my own place, and I recently welcomed my baby girl into the world. CROP eased my reentry, providing the tools and guidance to navigate a new world without the added stress of basic needs or navigating complex systems alone, and truly helped me stay focused on my goals.”
FAQs
-
The next Bay Area and Southern California cohorts are due to start in February 2027.
Cohorts typically begin in February and August each year. Applications may be submitted at any time, but only applications received by January 15 will be considered for a February start date, and only those received by July 15 will be considered for an August start date. Applicants will receive an email confirming their application status and which cohort they will be reviewed for within 15 business days. Applicants will be notified no later than one week before the start of a cohort if they have been accepted.
-
We encourage applicants to wait to complete and submit an application until they are within one year of their anticipated release date. This will help ensure that the information in their application is as current and accurate as possible when it is reviewed.
Applications with an anticipated release date that is more than a year away will not be reviewed at the time they are received. They will be stored in our system and flagged for review based on the anticipated release date listed. Please note that the release date listed on your application will not be updated automatically if your anticipated release date changes after your application is submitted.
-
Yes, we accept people who have various AA and NA needs, and those who take Suboxone. However, due to program health and safety requirements, we do not accept people who are actively using substances.
-
CROP does not provide letters of support for people preparing to go to Board, unless they have been a Quest 4 Life coach.
-
We typically review applications in accordance with people’s release and/or Parole Board Hearing dates, as well as our cohort launch dates. All applicants receive a notification to the primary contact method they provided after their application has been reviewed.
-
All fellows receive:
A monthly stipend. A portion goes directly into a savings account which cannot be accessed until graduation.
A new laptop for the duration of the program with an option to purchase the laptop at a reduced price upon graduation.
A one-time clothing gift card at the start of the program.
Four one-on-one sessions with a licensed therapist.
-
Bay Area fellows who live on our Oakland campus are subject to a curfew from 10PM-6AM in the first 6 months of the program. At 6 months, the Reentry Department reviews fellows’ program record and, if the fellow is in good standing, their curfew is extended to 12AM-5AM.
-
No, CROP is not a transitional housing provider. Our Bay Area housing is reserved for accepted program participants. If you’ve already been accepted as a fellow in the Bay Area and need housing prior to the cohort start date, we may be able to connect you to a local housing partner.
-
Fellows are encouraged to have a job while participating in the fellowship, provided their work does not interfere with program participation. Any new employment opportunities that arise during programming must be vetted and approved by CROP to ensure alignment with program scheduling and expectations.
-
If you have questions about the Ready 4 Life program, eligibility, or need assistance regarding your application, please call 916-345-4308 or email admissions@croporg.org.
A sneak peak into our oakland campus
-
Residential Rooms
-
Classrooms
-
Large shared kitchens
-
Rooftop balconies
-
Library and gym
-
Training Spaces