Inside California State Prison, Solano, the scene outside a classroom looks like any active job site. Students in hard hats, goggles, and safety vests climb a scaffold, locking in each piece as they go. Nearby, another group practices plumbing and construction skills in a two-story model house. Next door, you can hear the steady rhythm of brick being laid, one unit at a time.
The training is part of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s push to expand career technical education, including building and construction programs that lead to industry-recognized certifications. At CSP Solano, courses cover trades such as plumbing and masonry, and they’re taught by instructors with real industry experience.
In the plumbing and construction classroom, instructor Chris Carr said the goal is to teach a trade in conditions that match the expectations of a real crew. Students work a full day, from about 7:45 a.m. to 2:15 p.m., building both technical ability and jobsite habits like showing up on time, following direction, and using tools safely. Carr pointed to a water heater students installed and connected as one example of the hands-on curriculum. He also shared a past success story, a former student who landed a union job in Reno and now earns more than $30 an hour.
In the masonry classroom, instructor Chris Robinson teaches fundamentals that reward patience and repetition. Student Lawrence Carolino described laying hundreds of bricks, then taking them down and rebuilding again, including an exercise that totals 500 bricks with 100 set each day. For mason contractors, that repetition mirrors the real-world basics that separate a clean wall from a call-back: consistent head joints, level and plumb work, and the discipline to reset and do it right.
CDCR reported 5,260 students enrolled in career and technical education programs statewide in 2026. The department also cited a recent report showing participants had an average recidivism rate 14% lower than those who did not enroll. For wardens and instructors, the numbers matter, but so does the day-to-day proof, safer scaffold assembly, straighter brick lines, and students leaving with a plan to work.
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