Superstar barber Victor Fontanez — better known as VicBlends — is giving back. On Wednesday, August 6, Fontanez opened VicBlends Academy, a barber school inside the Men’s Only Valley State Prison in Chowchilla, California.
VicBlends Academy is the first-ever barber school within a California state or federal prison, and comes by way of a partnership with Scott Budnick, founder of the Anti-Recidivism Coalition and CEO of production company 1Community. The idea was conceived back in 2021, when Budnick invited Fontanez to a California state prison to meet inmates who were inspired by his TikTok videos.
In his viral videos, Fontanez provides haircuts to people in exchange for conversations. The chats often manifest into meaningful exchanges about mental health and social wellness. On his web series Deep Cut, Fontanez has styled guests like Lil Baby, Tom Brady, and Barack Obama. His social media has amassed over 25 million followers across his TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram pages.
At VicBlends Academy, each student will train and establish a path toward a long-term career upon their release from prison. The mission is for the students to leave prison with their state barber licenses.
“Our goal is to break the cycle of incarceration and recidivism trap that many communities suffer from,” said Fontanez in a statement. “We hope that prisons across the nation will take notice and open their eyes to what real rehabilitation can look like.”
Additionally, both Fontanez and Budnick seek to help inmates turn their lives around and carve a good path forward.
“At ARC, we’ve seen firsthand how access to real career pathways — not just jobs — can completely change the trajectory of someone’s life after prison,” said Budnick in a statement. “It’s not just about reducing recidivism, it’s about restoring dignity, purpose and long-term stability. To see someone like Vic lead the charge is transformational.”
