Monday, July 15, 2024
New York becomes the fifth state to join Reentry 2030, a national initiative led by The Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center and our partners JustLeadershipUSA and the Correctional Leaders Association with support from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs’ Bureau of Justice Assistance. By joining Reentry 2030, the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS), in partnership with other state agencies and community-based organizations, plans to enhance the state’s reentry system, remove barriers, and ensure access to resources. Interagency partnerships will expand opportunities for people returning from incarceration. These opportunities include obtaining necessary personal documents; access to healthcare, treatment, and educational opportunities; and access to secure housing and employment. Governor Kathy Hochul’s pioneering Jails to Jobs initiative will support the department’s Reentry 2030 goals. As an example, DOCCS plans to expand post-secondary education to each of the state’s correctional facilities by the end of this year.
New York’s bold goals include the following:
- Successful Community Supervision
- Reduce the recidivism rate to 17%—compared to the national average of 27%.
- Public Benefits
- Ensure 100% of eligible incarcerated people returning to the community will have received or requested a Social Security card and birth certificate prior to release.
- Arrange for 100% of eligible people released under supervision to have Department of Motor Vehicles identification.
- Education and Employment
- Increase post-release employment by 50%.
- More than double the rate of incarcerated people participating in college.
- Behavioral Health
- Secure substance use treatment for 100% of people who need it prior to release.
- Enroll enrollment of 100% of eligible people in Medicaid prior to release.
“I am proud for New York to join the Reentry 2030 initiative and build upon the successes of Governor Hochul’s Jails to Jobs program so that we can continue to make a meaningful change in the lives of those who have paid their debt to society. I thank the Governor for her continued prioritization of public safety and for her support for New York’s participation in Reentry 2030,” said Daniel F. Martuscello III, DOCCS Commissioner.
“People who have served their time deserve the opportunity to have a real ‘second chance’ to help themselves, their families, and their communities. We are proud to partner with DOCCS, local governments, and community organizations to provide re-entry services that connect people with the support that they need from housing and healthcare to employment and education,” said Rossana Rosado, New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services Commissioner.