LA Inmate Walks Away From Reentry Program

California corrections officials are searching for Jose Barrios after he walked away from a Male Community Reentry Program in Los Angeles on April 26. (cdcr.ca.gov) The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said staff discovered at about 2:30 p.m. that Barrios had removed his GPS device. Officials then launched a search and completed an emergency count at the facility. (cdcr.ca.gov) (ktla.com) Barrios is 24 and was serving a seven-year sentence for second-degree robbery with a firearm enhancement, according to state corrections officials. He was received from Los Angeles County on Sept. 27, 2023. (cdcr.ca.gov) (ktla.com) The Male Community Reentry Program is a voluntary California program for eligible men nearing release. Participants serve the end of their sentences in the community instead of inside a state prison. (cdcr.ca.gov) California says the program is meant to help with the transition back into society through housing, employment and other support before release. Admission is limited to people who meet eligibility rules set by the state. (cdcr.ca.gov) Corrections officials said Barrios may have left the area in a white vehicle. They described him as 5 feet 8 inches tall, 157 pounds, with brown eyes and black hair. (cdcr.ca.gov) (ktla.com) He was last seen wearing blue jeans, a black shirt and black shoes, according to KTLA and the state notice. Anyone who sees him is being told to call 911 or contact local law enforcement. (ktla.com) (cdcr.ca.gov) The department said that since 1977, 99% of people who escaped or walked away from an adult institution, camp, contract bed or community placement have been apprehended. For now, Barrios remains the focus of that search. (cdcr.ca.gov) (ktla.com)