Equine Assisted Learning Program at Central California Women's Facility in Chowchilla, CA.

New Beginnings at Circle T Ranch has been conducting Equine Assisted Learning (EAL) programs in four California Correctional Facilities since 2021. We are the only organization in the country to conduct EAL inside correctional facilities for level II-IV incarcerated personnel. Because of California budget constraints, grant funding has been decreased at a time where we are attempting to expand the incredibly positive offerings we have which promote complete rehabilitation, acceptance of responsibility, and development of strong desires to reconcile with communities.

This project will focus on incarcerated women at the Central California Women's Facility (CCWF) in Chowchilla, Ca. We have conducted two full programs resulting in 60 graduates at this facility and the results have been profound. The current waiting list to become a participant is 300 people, which is a two year backlog. The facility hierarchy are incredibly supportive, and hope for a funding source to enable continuation of EAL programs on site.

The Horse Program is designed to provide emotional healing, personal growth, and vocational skills to incarcerated women. These programs typically involve working with horses in activities such as grooming, groundwork, group activities, and sometimes riding. The goal is to provide:

- Emotional Healing

- Improved Mental Health

- Behavioral and Social Development

- Job Training

It is our mission to make California a better place, and one way we can reach this goal is by reducing inmate recidivism and setting inmates up for success when they are released from prison. We believe that continuing the horse program at CCWF would directly impact recidivism rates and improve the mental state of the incarcerated population at this facility.

New Beginnings is asking for your support to continue this program at CCWF for another year to collect additional data on its impact on this population to hopefully broaden our reach to additional prisons throughout the state. We believe more complete rehabilitations, acceptance of accountability, and desires for reconciliation are key to prison reform.

With your help, we can continue to help the world be a safer, happier place.

Please visit our website at www.supportnewbeginnings.org to learn more about our mission and programs!