Over the past two decades, the average length of stay in New York City jails has increased 136%, from a low of 44 days among those discharged in FY 2001 to 104 days in FY 2023. While much of the blame for this increase has been placed on the COVID pandemic — and certainly the pandemic exacerbated issues, as it did around the country — that is far from the whole story here.

Put another way, if policymakers smartly address the underlying forces that shape admissions and length of stay, they can not only predict future jail populations, but help control them.

College and Community Fellowship’s (CCF) Build-Out of Students Services (BOSS) project provided formerly incarcerated women in New York City with educational and employment services to help them overcome financial and, for some, caregiving obstacles.

For reentering individuals, the financial burden of pursuing and completing higher education programs begun in prison can be substantial and prohibitive. When surveyed, CIP students (N=114) identified several financial challenges that they anticipated would interfere with returning to school in the community.

Like other institutions of higher education, College-in-Prison Reentry Initiative (CIP) education providers were faced with shifting from in-person to fully remote coursework with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. Although grateful for the opportunity to continue classes, students and faculty alike described remote coursework as inferior to in-person instruction.

In East Harlem, the Center for Trauma Innovation is building a learning community so organizations can exchange innovative practices, learn from each other, and tap into each others’ resources to better serve their community with trauma-informed, evidence-based practices.

After conducting a multiyear evaluation of the College-in-Prison Reentry Initiative (CIP), we outline recommendations for educational providers, corrections, and other stakeholders to consider how best to prepare for and carry out their missions to provide high-quality postsecondary education to students who are incarcerated.

CIP invested $7.3 million in postsecondary education in NYS correctional settings, ultimately serving 931 students through seven higher education institutions in 17 prisons statewide.

Over the years, initiatives across NYC have worked to lower the number of youth aging out of foster care without permanent living arrangements, and to provide additional support to those who do. Through our partnership with the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, the Criminal Justice Investment Initiative (CJII) began funding two local programs to support foster youth transitioning to adulthood in 2018.

As part of its efforts to lower jail populations across America and address racial disparities in the criminal justice system, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation’s Safety and Justice Challenge recently funded a project examining racial disparities within a county jail.

The findings highlight the spectrum of service needs indicated by NYC HJN clients and the role of community health workers in helping these individuals navigate the reentry process, address critical needs, and avoid future criminal legal system involvement.

Participation in CIP significantly reduced the risk of reconviction for a new offense following release by two thirds, or 66 percent. Specifically, students who participated in CIP had lower risk of reconviction following release at both six months and 12 months.