The Last Mile Program Shows How Learning to Code Can Change Life After Prison

Shocking recidivism rates in the U.S. represent a fundamental failure in prison and jail systems, with California alone having a recidivism rate of over 55%. Individuals exiting prison face significant barriers to successfully return to society, with limited skills and job opportunities after their time in prison. The Last Mile is a nonprofit based out of San Quentin, CA that is on a mission to break the cycle of America’s incarceration problem – using coding. 100% of their graduates never return to prison.

Founders Chris Redlitz and Beverly Parenti, who work with aspiring entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley, started The Last Mile to bring coding and technology education inside prison walls and to provide these men and women the opportunity to gain knowledge and skills to be successful and change their futures.

Watch this video to learn more about The Last Mile’s innovative model for preventing recidivism and hear from Jason Jones, a graduate of The Last Mile program who transformed his life and is now mentoring and instructing incarcerated adults and youth in California. 

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