Rick Roney and his wife Regina established the Roney Family Foundation in the year 2000.  Through the foundation they have funded many college scholarships, supported the arts in Santa Barbara and invested in reforms to our criminal justice system. 

 

Rick talked about the counseling and educational programs that he helped introduce and add as part of the rehabilitating process for people being released from prisons in the Santa Barbara County.  He discussed the fact that the percentage of people repeating a crime is high and the new rehabilitating programs help teach skills and find jobs for the people getting out of prison.  The addition of the counseling and educational tools has helped decrease the chances of people repeating crimes and going back to jail dramatically.  In 2013 Rick was awarded the California Attorney General’s Award of Citizen Commendation for increasing public safety and reducing recidivism. 

 

In addition to the new rehabilitating programs, Rick discussed Neurofeedback.  Neurofeedback has been tested on high risk individuals that are likely to commit crimes and so far the results have shown positive behavioral changes.  Neurofeedback is currently being teste on a larger number of individuals that are out of prison data is being collected to determine the success on the use of Neurofeedback to enhance positive behavior and focus for those who have trouble learning new skills such as job skills. 

 

Rick is hoping that someday, Neurofeedback becomes approved to be used in the prisons before individuals are released.