Anti-Recidivism Coalition (ARC)

We're thrilled to announce our State Policy Priorities for 2025! Our state legislation brings hope to our incarcerated community, fair wages for our heroic incarcerated hand crews, expungement opportunities for formerly incarcerated firefighters, a renewed chance to end slavery in California, and much more! Swipe through to learn about our bills. Stay tuned for more updates! #Policy #Hope #Change?

Happy International Women’s Day! Watch the full video for the story of Afeni Shakur, Tupac’s mother and incredible activist and person. She was a valuable member of the Black Panther Party fighting for change, and even was in jail for her work while pregnant with Tupac. So many women’s stories like this go untold. Let’s remember them!! #WomensHistoryMonth #AntiRecidivismCoalition

One of the seven criminogenic needs to prevent returning to prison is prosocial behavior (community)! ARC provides this for people in a number of ways, one of which being retreats. Retreats are an integral part of the ARC experience. Building community and fostering lasting relationships is a cornerstone of ARC, and so is going into nature to connect with ourselves and each other. These opportunities also show members that there is more out there for them than they have previously experienced. Our retreats into nature allows us to connect with our community outside of our day-to-day lives, creating special memories and lasting impact. It is important for our members to know they have a support system of people who care about their well being and are like-minded on the path of rehabilitation and hope. These memorable moments bring us closer, and remind us that there is value in healing and communing in nature. #AntiRecidivismCoalition #Nature #Community

Last year we posted about our very first cohort graduation from LACTC, our newest fire crew training program in Calabasas. We’re so excited to announce that six of the graduates have already been hired by Cal Fire and are now professional firefighters. It’s amazing to see the hard work that these individuals have put in and how it has paid off. Let’s give them some love in the comments!! #AntiRecidivismCoalition #FormerlyIncarcerated #Firefighting

ARC is MOVING! Our office is closed until March 17th, and then we will be at our new office: 601 N Alvarado St Los Angeles, CA 90026 Come visit us in our new space!!

Happy International Women’s Day! Women face unique challenges in the criminal justice system. The system was built for men, leaving women's needs unaddressed. A gender-responsive approach is necessary to account for systemic inequities. Many women enter the system due to coercion or abusive relationships. Economic and emotional dependence can also lead to criminal involvement, and intimate partner violence is often times a major factor in women's incarceration. ARC’s Women’s Department is dedicated to addressing these needs!

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OUR INCARCERATED FIREFIGHTERS! To show our appreciation, here is an update on all things ARC Firefighter Fund. As a result of your enormous generosity,?ARC has raised more than?$1.8 MILLION for our incarcerated firefighters!!!?With these funds, we have already provided immediate support, and are beginning to implement necessary infrastructure updates to our fire camps, and scholarships for individuals wishing to pursue firefighting careers after release. Here are a few examples of where your support has gone so far. ?? Immediate needs: We served over 30 meals at the Rose Bowl and Holton Basecamps for nearly 500 incarcerated firefighters each. Thanks to Irv’s Burgers, Maple Block Meat Co, Jon and Vinny's, Chef Jeff, Raising Cane’s and many more for showing up to feed these heroes! Fire camp upgrades: Our Sacramento staff packed?over 180 hygiene kits and ordered 40 new pairs of boots. See pictures! Scholarships: Since launching the Firefighter Fund, we have welcomed two crew members home so far and provided both with scholarships. One young man, Fausto Lopez, is now attending UC Riverside. We are currently preparing five more scholarships for Pine Grove youth coming home from incarceration, and are looking forward to supporting hundreds more in the months and years to come. We are so grateful to our partners at WME, who played an enormous role in helping us coordinate meals for our incarcerated firefighters. We are equally thankful to their many wonderful clients, who supported this fundraiser as well. Thank you to everyone who has supported our Firefighter Fund! While we can’t possibly name everyone here, each one of you has helped us make a huge difference. #AntiRecidivismCoalition #FireFighterFund

Once a month, our former Board Member and longtime friend, the Honorable Judge Ron Kaye, collaborates with the Anti-Recidivism Coalition to transform his courtroom into a space for reflection and healing. Formerly incarcerated individuals who have only experienced negative interactions with the justice system are invited back to court to meet with Judge Kaye. This unique opportunity allows them to rewrite their narratives and engage in meaningful dialogue, fostering a sense of being truly seen and heard. We are happy to see Judge Kaye receive this recognition in the Daily Journal. Check out the full article at our Link in Bio. #AntiRecidivismCoalition?

To comply with this administration’s recent anti-DEI orders, the Air Force briefly removed all references to the Tuskegee Airmen from its training materials. If you don’t get how crazy that is, you must not know the Tuskegee Airmen. So this week on “Saving Black History”, we’re talking about America’s first all-black military aviators. What else should people know about the Tuskegee Airmen?! Let us know in the comments! #BlackHistoryMonth #SavingBlackHistory #AntiRecidivismCoalition

This MLK day, we’d like to honor these unsung heroes, who embody Dr. King's unwavering commitment to justice, service, and equality for all. These incarcerated firefighters put their lives on the line to protect our communities, and their strength, dedication, and contributions are a powerful reminder that greatness can arise in any circumstance. Thank you for your bravery and for inspiring hope. #IncarceratedFirefighters #MLKDay