Helping people released from jail or prison transition back into their communities and avoid future contact with the criminal justice system is crucial to building safer neighborhoods.
Our Harlem Parole Reentry Court, for example, makes use of a wide-range of community-based services such as drug and mental health treatment and job training, as well as strict judicial supervision, to help parolees navigate the return to life at home. We also mobilize family members and the local faith community to support program participants. A recent evaluation of the Reentry Court found it had reduced recidivism by almost 20 percent and significantly improved employment outcomes.
The Family Healing Project uses restorative practices to offer supportive spaces for individuals and families, after incarceration. Evidence shows that strong social support is positively correlated with stable housing and that stable housing greatly reduces the risk of re-arrest amongst formerly incarcerated people. Yet support for people coming home is often narrowly focused on material needs, while heads of households, primarily women of color, shoulder the emotional, psychological, and spiritual challenges for all.
Highlights from a public screening and panel discussion of Bill Moyers's 'Rikers: An American Jail,' moderated by New Thinking host, Matt Watkins. Commenting on the film and the future of criminal justice reform are Tina Luongo of the Legal Aid Society, Jill Harris of the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office, and two of the people formerly held on Rikers featured in the film: Barry Campbell of the Fortune Society, and Johnny Perez of the National Religious Campaign Against Torture.
The Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reintegration Program provides intensive case management and reentry services to tribal members returning to the community from incarceration. The program provides financial assistance for basic needs such as housing, clothing, and groceries, and offers long-term support through educational, vocational, and legal services.
Written by Judge Jonathan Lippmann, this opinion piece details some of the crises happening on Rikers Island and practical steps that could be taken to address them. With links to our Bail Reform at One Year report & our Closing Rikers Roadmap, the recommendations outlined would not only advance safety, fairness, and justice, but also reduce the jail population by at least 2,000 people.
Eric Lach for the New Yorker spends time in the courtroom at arraignment to understand some of the factors fueling the current crisis on Rikers Island. The article cites our research that identified a 2020 spike in judges setting bail and explores the alternatives that judges have to bail--like someone being released on their own recognizance or supervised release.