Friends Outside

What Friends Outside does

Friends Outside is a California-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1955 by Rosemary Goodenough, a Quaker advocate, to serve incarcerated individuals, their families, and reentry populations. The organization operates on an annual budget of nearly $10 million with more than 130 employees statewide, delivering services through three core program lines: Visitor Centers at all 31 California State Prisons providing childcare, transportation, clothing loans, and supportive environments for visiting families; Family Liaison Services with specialists inside 30 prisons offering pre-release planning, parenting classes, and conflict resolution; and Reentry Services in San Joaquin and Stanislaus Counties providing case management, employment readiness, housing assistance, and group education. Supporting educational programs include Creative Conflict Resolution, Job Readiness Skills, Financial Literacy, Tenants' Rights classes, and a 10-week Substance Use Group hosted at the Resiliency Lab in Stockton, plus the children's program 'Write to Me.'

The organization's business model is government-contract-driven, anchored by its role as the primary state contractor for California's prison family-support programs since the 1980 legislative mandate. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) funds Visitor Centers and Family Liaison Services, supplemented by tax-deductible individual donations (via PayPal, DAFs, employer matches, gifts of stock, and estate gifts), plus foundation and corporate grants. All services are provided free of charge to clients. The organization extends its reach through separately incorporated affiliate chapters in Los Angeles, Santa Cruz, and Sonoma Counties operating under memoranda of understanding. Proprietary content assets include the 'Positive Parenting for Incarcerated Parents' course, the Quaker Alternatives to Violence-based 'Creative Conflict Resolution' program, and the 'Bill of Rights for Children of Incarcerated Parents' adopted by international policy bodies.

Friends Outside does not develop technology products; its operating model is human-services delivery, and its competitive position is built on regulatory entrenchment, 70 years of institutional credibility, and physical presence across every California state prison rather than on technological differentiation. Revenue concentration with CDCR represents both the foundation of operational stability and the primary structural risk, as government contract continuity is subject to annual appropriations and political shifts.

Name

Friends Outside

Legal name

Friends Outside and Friends and Family Center

Website

https://friendsoutside.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1955

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Friends Outside is a California 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1955 that delivers family-support, visitation, and reentry services to incarcerated individuals and their families across all 31 California State Prisons and community reentry centers in San Joaquin and Stanislaus Counties.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Correctional social services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (624310), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Centers & Neighborhood Support Services (BPAGAEAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Correctional Health, Mental Health & Substance Abuse Services (In-Custody) (BPAKANAG), Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGACAD), Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK)

Keywords

• Prison family services
• Reentry support programs
• Incarcerated parent support
• Correctional social services
• Prison visitor programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Stockton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Contracts: Primary revenue source through contracts with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), established via legislative mandate in 1980 to fund family-support programs in California prisons.
2. Individual Donations: Tax-deductible charitable donations from individuals supporting reentry programs, work transportation, work supplies, and prosocial skills classes. Accepts donations via PayPal, check, donor advised funds (DAFs), employer matches, gifts of stock, estate gifts and bequests. Friends Outside is a 501(c)(3) corporation with tax ID # 94-1539901.
3. Foundation and Corporate Grants: Support from foundations and corporations as mentioned in donor acknowledgment statements.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Friends Outside provides free, government- and donor-funded social services to incarcerated individuals, their families, and reentering community members across California. Core offerings include Visitor Centers and Family Liaison Services embedded inside all 31 California State Prisons, plus community-based Reentry Services in San Joaquin and Stanislaus Counties covering case management, employment readiness, housing assistance, and educational classes.

Product overview

Friends Outside offers a portfolio of interconnected service programs addressing the needs of incarcerated individuals, their families, and communities. The core offerings include Visitor Centers at California State Prisons that facilitate family visiting with amenities like childcare, transportation, and clothing loans; Family Liaison Services with specialists providing pre-release planning, parenting classes, and conflict resolution; and Reentry Services offering case management, employment readiness, and housing assistance in San Joaquin County. Supporting educational programs include Creative Conflict Resolution, Job Readiness Skills, Financial Literacy, Tenants' Rights, and Substance Use Groups. Children's programs like Write to Me support parent-child connections during incarceration. All programs are grounded in evidence-based practices rooted in Quaker philosophy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Visitor Centers Visitor Centers located at California State Prisons that provide childcare, transportation, clothing loans, information resources, and a welcoming environment to facilitate family visits with incarcerated individuals. Services are provided free of charge to visiting families.
• Family Liaison Services Family Liaison Services with specialists located within 30 California State Prisons who support incarcerated individuals and act as liaisons between incarcerated persons and their families. Services include pre-release planning, parenting classes, conflict resolution, and resource referrals.
• Reentry Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Research shows maintaining family relationships during incarceration reduces recidivism
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1980Primary government partner and funding source. California enacted legislation in 1980 to fund family-support programs in prisons, with Friends Outside as the primary state contractor ever since. CDCR funds Visitor Centers at all 31 California State Prisons and Family Liaison Services inside prisons.
• Friends Outside in Los Angeles CountycoreOthersSeparately incorporated affiliate serving children and families of incarcerated individuals in Los Angeles County. Operates within county jails, provides support groups, children's programs, visiting assistance, and reentry resources. Runs under a memorandum of understanding with Friends Outside national office.
• Santa Cruz Volunteer CenterminorOthersPartnership to operate Friends Outside programming in Santa Cruz County through the Santa Cruz Volunteer Center at 1740 17th Ave, Santa Cruz, CA 95062.
• Friends Outside in Sonoma CountyminorOthersSeparately incorporated affiliate operating Friends Outside services in Sonoma County. Contact: PO Box 3905, Sonoma, CA 95402, 707-526-7318.
• California Correctional CenterminorOthersOne of 31 California State Prisons where Friends Outside provides Visitor Center and Family Liaison Services.
• Root & Rebound (California)minorOthersListed as a resource partner on the Other Resources page, providing reentry information and referrals for justice-impacted individuals.
• Prison Policy InitiativeminorOthersListed as a resource partner providing policy research and advocacy information for incarcerated individuals and families.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Anti-Recidivism Coalition (ARC): California-based nonprofit focused on reducing recidivism through mentorship, advocacy, and reentry support for formerly incarcerated individuals. Comparable in mission and California reentry focus to Friends Outside.
• A New Way of Life: Los Angeles-based nonprofit providing housing, reentry support, and advocacy for formerly incarcerated women and their families. Comparable reentry and family-focused service model in California.
• Root & Rebound: California-based nonprofit providing legal information and reentry support to formerly incarcerated people. Direct regional peer to Friends Outside's reentry and resource referral work in California. (Listed as a resource partner of Friends Outside.)

Emerging players

• Petey Greene Prisoner Assistance Program: National nonprofit providing incarcerated individuals with educational support, including tutoring and post-secondary programming. Tangentially comparable as a prison-based service provider supporting reentry.
• Defy Ventures: National nonprofit offering entrepreneurship training and employment pathways for currently and formerly incarcerated people. Comparable reentry employment programming, with a more niche entrepreneurship focus.

Direct peers

• Osborne Association: New York-based nonprofit operating prison-based programs, reentry services, and family supports for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people. Direct functional equivalent to Friends Outside's Visitor Center, Family Liaison, and Reentry Services offerings.
• The Fortune Society: New York-based nonprofit providing reentry services, alternatives-to-incarceration programs, and support for formerly incarcerated individuals and their families. Highly comparable mission and service mix to Friends Outside's reentry and family support programs.
• Center for Community Alternatives: New York-based nonprofit providing alternatives-to-incarceration, reentry, and youth justice programs. Comparable in operating community-based justice and reentry services for justice-involved populations.
• Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO): National nonprofit providing employment readiness and job placement for people returning from incarceration. Overlaps directly with Friends Outside's Job Readiness Skills program and reentry employment services.

Others

• Prison Policy Initiative: National research and advocacy organization producing policy work on incarceration and reentry. Listed as a resource partner of Friends Outside; comparable ecosystem role rather than direct service competition.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/friendsoutside
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/friends-outside
• Instagraminstagram.com/friendsoutsidecalifornia
• Xx.com/friendsoutside

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Friends Outside