Supervised Release Program

supervised release program

Our Impact

  • 12,000 Since 2016, our Supervised Release program has helped people avoid bail—and potentially Rikers Island—in more than 12,000 cases.

  • 87% of Supervised Release participants exiting the program attended all pretrial court appearances.

  • 916 referrals to community-based services for participants were made by our social workers and case managers in 2020.

Jamaal Anderson, supervised release client
"Having someone there to steer you in the right direction really was a big help for me. I had to not let [my case manager] down, as well as myself."
Jamaal Anderson Client of our supervised release program at Bronx Community Solutions

Publications & Digital Media

  • Publication

    Bail Reform Revisited: The Impact of New York’s Amended Law

    Our analysis of the revisions passed in April 2020 to New York State’s bail reform projects they will lead to a 16 percent increase in New York City’s pretrial jail population, relative to the effects of the original law. However, even the revised statute makes an estimated 84 percent of cases ineligible for bail. The analysis also weighs factors, including the COVID-19 emergency, that could produce a culture change in pretrial decision-making—in the direction of less, or more, reliance on detention.

  • Publication

    Supervised Release: A Proven Alternative to Bail

    Supervised Release is as effective as bail at ensuring people make their court appearances, sparing them the documented harms of pretrial detention and allowing them to receive supportive services in their community. This fact sheet of results from the first five years of the program finds its outcomes remain stable, despite its expansion last year to cover a larger, more charge-diverse population.

See All Publications and Digital Media 

News

  • Do We Protect NYC by Jailing New Yorkers?

    NY Daily News

    Written by Vincent Schiraldi, the former commissioner of New York City’s Departments of Correction, this article urges looking at New York City's history of substantially reducing incarceration over decades while simultaneously lowering crime when currently evaluating bail reform. With links to our Jail in New York City Evidence-Based Opportunities report, Schiraldi cites our research stating that individuals sentenced to city jails increases a person’s recidivism rate.

  • What Responsibility do Courts Bear for the Crisis at Rikers Island?

    The New Yorker

    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.

  • Crisis At Rikers: How NYC Judges Fueled An Increase In The City’s Jail Population

    Gothamist

    Citing our research, Gothamist looks at the role of pretrial decision-making in fueling the crisis on Rikers Island where the jail population has been rising steadily for months. “The research overwhelmingly indicates that releasing people reduces recidivism in the long run, and pre-trial detention increases it,” said Michael Rempel, our director of jail reform. 

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