FOLSOM – The California Correctional Training and Rehabilitation Board has appointed Suzie Changus as the new Director of the California Correctional Training and Rehabilitation Authority (CALCTRA), the state agency headquartered in Folsom that oversees vocational training and career development programs for incarcerated individuals throughout California.
The appointment was made during the board’s June 23 meeting. In addition to serving as director, Changus will also assume the role of executive officer of the California Correctional Training and Rehabilitation Board.
Changus is no stranger to the organization, having spent the past eight years with CALCTRA, formerly known as the California Prison Industry Authority (CALPIA). She has served as acting director since January 2026 after previously holding the positions of chief deputy director from 2023 to 2025 and chief information officer from 2018 to 2023.
Before joining CALCTRA, Changus built more than two decades of experience in both the private and nonprofit sectors. Her professional background includes leadership roles in vocational education and workforce retraining, technology, project management, government policy and finance, and healthcare.
She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Information Technology from the University of Phoenix and earned a Master of Business Administration from California State University, Sacramento.
As director, Changus will oversee CALCTRA, a self-supporting state entity that provides career development, vocational education and job training opportunities to thousands of incarcerated individuals housed in institutions operated by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
According to the agency, CALCTRA’s mission is to prepare incarcerated individuals for successful reentry into their communities by equipping them with marketable job skills and employment experience. The organization focuses on rehabilitation through workforce training programs designed to support second chances and reduce recidivism.
Headquartered in Folsom, CALCTRA partners with correctional institutions across California to provide industry-based training and work opportunities intended to help participants become productive members of their communities upon release.
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