Rethinking Reentry: A Community Approach
By Nathalie Lebron, Policy Associate
Second Chance Month provides an opportunity for policymakers, practitioners, and the public at large to reflect on how we can rethink our criminal legal systems to promote opportunity and safety instead of simple punishment. This includes lifting up programs that prioritize collaboration, support, and tools for a productive reentry—which benefits the whole community.
Through legislative reforms and evidence-based practices, the criminal legal system is working towards providing opportunities for successful reentry. There has been nationwide recognition that this goal is achieved through supporting people in reentry, not by creating additional punishments and barriers. Every April, Second Chance Month raises awareness to the importance of supporting formerly incarcerated people through best practices that create opportunity, open doors, and, ultimately, help them avoid future legal system involvement. This recognition reaches all the way to the White House: at the close of this past Second Chance Month, President Biden released a plan that creates increased access to employment, housing, and other services on a federal level in an effort to facilitate these kinds of supports.
New York reincarcerates more people for technical parole violations than any other state. In 2019, 6,000 people were reincarcerated due to technical violations, accounting for 40% of new prison admissions.
However, on the state and local level, there remain gaps between the knowledge that these supports are needed and the reality of what is available. For many who are leaving incarceration and hoping to start anew, the current standards and practices hinder chances at success, not encourage it. For example, parole policies can be a significant obstacle to successful reentry: New York reincarcerates more people for technical parole violations than any other state. In 2019, 6,000 people were reincarcerated due to technical violations, accounting for 40% of new prison admissions. Recognizing the need to reduce recidivism and support reentry for formerly incarcerated people, New York legislators and activists successfully passed the Less is More Act, which went into full effect on March 1, 2022. This law reforms parole by not reincarcerating people for certain non-criminal technical violations such as changing jobs or reentry programs without authorization, missing curfew, and other minor technical violations. While the passage of data-driven laws like Less is More is a good start, more can be done to support successful reentry.
Collaboration between prison staff, community supervision, and reentry organizations promotes successful reentry
People leaving incarceration— either into parole or not under community supervision—face barriers such as unemployment, mental health issues, food inaccessibility, and housing instability, with more than half the people leaving prison entering the shelter system. Currently, recidivism in New York is 43 percent. To use parole as an example again, in her initial budget, New York Governor Kathy Hochul highlighted that the current parole system could be more supportive towards reentry. She proposed refocusing parole officers' responsibilities to providing career planning and job placement to formerly incarcerated people. This proposal is justified.
Studies find that best practices for release start during incarceration. Prior to reentry, people being held in prison should meet with their prospective parole officers to build engagement and rapport, as opposed to the current practice where this occurs post-release. Before release, parole officers can collaborate with prison staff and program providers such as education programs, vocational training, and treatment services. In fact, a 2018 meta-analysis of nine reentry programs found these practices influenced lower recidivism rates. Parole officers can then start the reentry transition by establishing a formal reentry plan that includes academic/vocational training; community resources that address immediate needs such as housing, food, and health care; and a referral to reentry organizations. After release, parole officers can partner with reentry organizations to better support people under community supervision. This strategy differs from current practice, where parole officers refer people to services which could result in little or no follow-up and a lack of provider collaboration. This primary focus on individuals following laws and rules of community supervision can potentially result in a lack of support, which could lead to technical violations and increased recidivism rates, as seen in New York.
Spotlighting CJII Reentry Providers
Reentry organizations provide essential community support to ease formerly incarcerated people's transition to their communities. The New York County District Attorney’s Office (DANY) Criminal Justice Investment Initiative (CJII) invests in community programs to increase public safety by providing resources to underserved communities. CJII grantees are committed to ensuring that people reentering have the skills and resources to thrive post-incarceration. Some examples include:
Exodus Transitional Community: Provides an array of services for people who have been released, such as emergency housing, workforce development, mental health services, and many more resources that help people who are formerly incarcerated reintegrate into their communities.
College and Community Fellowship (CCF): Serves primarily women of color who have been involved with the criminal legal system. CCF provides mentorship, academic support, career advancement opportunities, and financial support.
Health and Justice Network: Works with NYC residents who have been released from prison or jail within three years. Utilizing a trauma-informed approach, they connect people reentering to services that promote physical and mental well-being, including quality health care and various social services.
Promoting successful reentry means partnerships between prison staff and providers, parole officers, and reentry organizations. We must think critically about improving the current system by enacting meaningful changes to parole and reentry. When people with criminal legal involvement receive support and are given the tools to prosper at all levels of their journey, they have the opportunity of a second chance to thrive in their communities.
Photo by Rémi Walle on Unsplash.