Programs and Classes Available at Martinez Detention Facility: Education, Vocational Training, and Chaplaincy
If your loved one is at Martinez Detention Facility, programs offer a practical way to build skills, fill time productively, and prepare for life after release. Here's a clear overview of the education, vocational, and chaplaincy options available through Contra Costa County Custody Services.
Contra Costa County Custody Services frames its Inmate Programs and Services around meeting real needs - education, job skills, and support services - with the broader goal of reducing crime's impact on the community. These offerings focus on strengthening reentry prospects and family stability.
Finishing school is often a priority. Martinez Detention Facility offers GED/High School Diploma preparation and testing for incarcerated individuals. For many families, this is one of the most meaningful steps someone can take while in custody - it creates a real credential that helps with job applications and training opportunities down the road.
The facility also provides Adult Basic Education and ESL (English as a Second Language) classes. These help strengthen core reading, writing, and math skills - or build the English fluency that makes everyday communication and future employment more realistic after release.
Looking for more current workplace skills? Martinez Detention Facility offers computer applications training, including web design. Even basic comfort with common software can make a real difference when someone's reentering the workforce and navigating modern job searches.
Not every class is strictly academic, but these groups still support progress and stability. The facility runs DEUCE - a program covering substance abuse, anger and stress management, and job development. There are also Parenting classes and AA/NA (Alcoholics Anonymous/Narcotics Anonymous) meetings, which help people strengthen coping skills and rebuild healthier routines.
For hands-on job training, Inmate Industries runs a Sign/Engraving Shop and a Frame Shop. Participants learn engraving, sign-making, sublimation work, and picture framing and matting. It's practical experience that builds real-world work habits and entry-level trade skills.
The Landscape Program is another skills-focused option. Participants learn soil preparation, planting and maintenance for trees, shrubs, bushes, flowers, grass, and ground covers, plus irrigation system upkeep. They also learn to operate landscaping equipment safely - relevant experience for maintenance and groundskeeping jobs after release.
Reentry tip: Vocational instructors involved with Inmate Industries may provide letters of recommendation for people seeking employment after release. That kind of documentation can help when someone has limited recent work history outside custody.
Martinez Detention Facility has full-service browsing libraries for both male and female inmates, staffed by an on-site librarian. Beyond recreational and reference reading, legal information is available through Legal Research Associates Incorporated - a key resource for anyone trying to understand legal materials while in custody.
For spiritual support, the facility employs full-time chaplains (contracted through Bay Area Chaplains and funded by the Inmate Welfare Fund). They provide counseling, religious services, and bible studies - support that can matter a lot during stressful stretches in custody.
Religious needs: Chaplains deliver requested religious materials and review all requests for religious diets. If your loved one needs faith-based items or a diet accommodation, chaplaincy is part of that path.
Many inmate services and programs are funded through the Inmate Welfare Fund (IWF). The IWF's main revenue comes from commissary sales and Inmate Industry operations - which is why work programs and commissary activity are indirectly connected to what services can be supported inside.
Family Support
- ✓ Encourage your loved one to ask about GED/High School Diploma preparation and testing if finishing school is a goal.
- ✓ If reading, math, or writing is a barrier, have them request Adult Basic Education.
- ✓ If language is a challenge, suggest they ask about ESL (English as a Second Language) classes.
- ✓ For modern job skills, remind them to ask about computer applications training, including web design.
- ✓ If they want hands-on work experience, have them ask about Inmate Industries options like the Sign/Engraving Shop and Frame Shop.
- ✓ If outdoor or maintenance work is a good fit, encourage them to ask about the Landscape Program (planting, irrigation, and equipment operation).
If your loved one is working toward employment after release, think beyond the class itself - focus on proof of progress. DEUCE includes job development alongside substance abuse support and anger and stress management. Vocational instructors with Inmate Industries may provide letters of recommendation for people seeking work after release. A simple question - "Can you request a letter of recommendation when you're ready?" - can nudge them to treat the program like a real job track, not just a way to pass time.
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