California Institution for Men (CIM) is a male-only state prison located in the city of Chino, San Bernardino County, California. Colloquially referenced as “Chino,” the institution boasts a ground-breaking program called the Marine Technology Training Center.

California has more than 115,000 people incarcerated in its state prisons. According to a study in 2013, the recidivism rate – the rate at which former inmates return to prison – is 61%. That means approximately 6 out of 10 individuals who’ve been released from prison end up returning within three years.

However, with rehabilitative programs and Training Centers – like the Marine Technology Training Center at Chino Prison – recidivism rates are as low as 2%.

Upon their prison release, graduates of the MTTC program re-enter the world with an array of marketable skills, work ethic and discipline hammered into them by the gruelling program.

For many graduates re-entering society, the opportunity to find gainful employment in a field they love, is the second chance at life.

The MTTC director, former Navy Seal Jeff Powers, spearheads the program with a no-nonsense military training style. Training sessions include personal conditioning, swimming and dive-specific exercises. The training is intense and the drop in our rate is high.

Jeff says, “A lot of these guys don’t like taking orders, or they didn’t realize how much work there is. I don’t even learn many of their names before guys drop out. But it’s the ones who stay and stick it out…well, that’s why I’m here.”

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