Former Inmates Recognized for Their Achievements During Graduation Ceremony in Santa Barbara

Just outside the windows of the Hilton’s Reagan Room — named after the 40th president whose “war on drugs” policies in the 1980s led to a spike in incarceration for low-level drug offenses, particularly in California — the sea glinted in the summer sun, bright light beaming into the room. A buffet of shining silver chafing dishes with an abundance of food lined the back of the room, Hilton staff dressed in black bussed tables and filled glass goblets with water.  

All of this was a sense of luxury for the graduates who, not that long ago, were in a cell under lock and key. 

This graduation ceremony was to honor graduates who successfully completed Community Solutions Inc.’s Day Reporting Center (DRC) program, which gives formerly incarcerated folks the resources and support they need to reintegrate into their communities. For some, after spending over two decades behind bars, it is a world they hardly know.  

“When you get out, you don’t have anything,” said Christopher Hunt Fox. Many former inmates leave jail lacking housing, jobs, and basic essential documents like driver’s licenses and birth certificates, leaving them struggling to create a sustainable life for themselves. DRCs try to fill this gap, providing support to the formerly incarcerated in an attempt to keep them from ending up back in the system. 

“Reentry isn’t easy. It takes accountability, perseverance, and the courage to keep moving forward, even through the setbacks,” said Program Director Melinda Johnston. 

Founded over six decades ago out of founder Ralph Cheyney’s personal home in Connecticut, Community Solutions Inc. now operates in eight states and Canada. The Santa Barbara and Santa Maria Day Reporting Centers opened in 2010 as a pilot program with the Sheriff’s Office, and with continued support from Sheriff Bill Brown, they have stuck around. This year, 65 formerly incarcerated individuals – 41 from Santa Maria and 24 from Santa Barbara – have successfully completed and graduated from the DRC programs county wide. 

“It feels like I succeeded in something,” said graduate Richard Delgado, the recipient of the Client of the Year award for his growth and dedication through the program.  

“When I was growing up, I didn’t really have a positive mentor, or like a positive anything,” said Delgado. Born and raised in Santa Barbara, Delgado came of age selling drugs and “running around with gangs.” Delgado said that “instead of being encouraged to go to school or get a career, I was encouraged to cause pain and trauma in my community.”

Delgado spent 12 years in jail for his crimes, and when he got released, his parole officer recommended he apply for the DRC program.

Funded by the S.B. Sheriff’s Office and run in tandem with California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, DRCs are a “one-stop shop” for all things needed for reentry: housing assistance, anger management programs, sobriety services, therapy, guidance counseling, education assistance, a hot meal, and a food pantry. “Anything I needed, it was there,” said Delgado. 

Delgado got assistance in enrolling in classes at S.B. City College, help applying for financial aid, and counseling services to help him stay sober, allowing him to forge a new path forward. 

Fox went through anger management sessions, got assistance finding a job and transportation, and had a space to connect with staff and peers. “In a time where you don’t really have that many friends or anything, it’s very helpful.”

After six months out of jail, Fox was able to save up enough money to buy a Chevy. “It has registration, insurance, and everything,” he said. He has had a steady job for a year now at an organic farm in Buellton and is saving up to buy a home. 

On Thursday, eight of the 24 graduates from the Santa Barbara DRC walked across the stage to receive their certificate of completion. Many of the graduates were not able to attend the ceremony since they had to go to their jobs — a symptom of a successful program completion. 

Mayor Randy Rowse and councilmembers Kristen Sneddon and Oscar Gutierrez were there in support of the graduates. Johnston said that this is the first time in the program’s history that the Santa Barbara mayor attended a graduation. 

Keynote speaker Sheriff Bill Brown said, “I encourage you today to think about your future. And if you haven’t done so already, set some goals and set some milestones that you’d like to achieve.” 

Fox said that now, after DRC staff helped him get his birth certificate, his goal is to get his passport. He plans to take a trip home to La Paz, Mexico, to visit his family, who he hasn’t seen in 11 years. 

For Delgado, his goal is to finish his program at SBCC and continue on his path becoming a counselor, or maybe even a psychotherapist, to help young people navigate challenges and find a constructive path. “I feel like I owe my community something better.”