Governor Cuomo Announces More than $10 Million to Fund Employment and Re-Entry Services Throughout New York
Grants Will Fund Job Training, Mental Health, Other Services for Individuals
on Parole, Probation or in Court-Ordered Programs
New State-Supported County Re-Entry Task Force Created in Queens to Help
Individuals Transition from Incarceration to their Communities
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo recently announced more than $10 million in funding
to support programs providing job training and other re-entry services
to individuals currently under community supervision. Additionally, these
grants will create a new state-supported County Re-Entry Task Force in
Queens and allow 19 other existing Task Forces across the state to assist
more people returning to their communities after serving state prison
sentences.
"These investments play a critical role in ensuring those seeking
to turn their lives around have access to the tools and resources needed
to succeed,"
Governor Cuomo said. "Expanding these services will be able to help more at-risk New Yorkers
break the cycle of recidivism and incarceration, helping them to lead
more productive lives and increasing the safety of our communities."
The first $6.4 million in grants will be awarded to 13 agencies and non-profit
organizations across the state to provide employment-focused services
to individuals on parole, those supervised by probation or referred by
the court to alternatives to incarceration programs. These grants will
be distributed across the state and will allow services to be available
for the first time in five counties, which include Ontario, Orleans, Steuben,
Tompkins and Wayne counties.
The 13 organizations receiving funding will use evidence-based strategies
to reduce recidivism and reliance on incarceration. These programs, which
range in duration from three months to up to a year, include job placement
services, as well as cognitive behavioral intervention and services to
increase job readiness, including transitional employment. Approximately
2,500 individuals will be served by these programs annually.
The remaining $4 million in grants will create a new County Re-Entry Task
Force in Queens and allow 19 existing Task Forces to hire a coordinator
and serve more individuals in Albany, Broome, Bronx, Dutchess, Erie, Kings,
Monroe, Nassau, New York, Niagara, Oneida, Onondaga, Orange, Rensselaer,
Rockland, Schenectady, Suffolk, Ulster and Westchester counties.
The 20 task forces have a collective goal of serving approximately 5,000
individuals returning to their counties after serving a state prison sentence.
These individuals have been assessed as needing coordinated substance
abuse and mental health treatment; job training, placement and skill development;
and cognitive behavioral interventions, which are designed to help individuals
change thinking that contributes to criminal behavior, improve positive
motivation and further develop social skills.
County Re-entry Task Forces are co-chaired by representatives from the
county and the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision
and include law enforcement, community supervision, social services and
mental health professionals, as well as victim advocates and substance
abuse treatment providers.
The list of funded agencies and organization can be found
here.
Division of Criminal Justice Services Executive Deputy Commissioner Michael
C. Green said, "I commend Governor Cuomo for supporting and expanding these initiatives,
which use evidence-based practices. These programs and services have been
proven effective in helping people to have the best possible chance to
break the cycle of recidivism and change the course of their lives for
the better."
Department of Corrections and Community Supervision Acting Commissioner
Anthony J. Annucci, said, "I applaud Governor Cuomo for his visionary leadership in providing
the resources to assist offenders along their journey to a successful
reentry into the community. When an ex-offender obtains lawful employment
not only is the recidivism rate lowered, our communities are safer and
the tax base for New York is raised."
During his tenure, Governor Cuomo has consistently worked to remove barriers
faced by people with criminal convictions as they seek to reintegrate
into society. At the recommendation of the state’s Council on Community
Re-Entry and Reintegration, he has, among other things, instituted ‘fair
chance hiring’ for state agencies and implemented uniform anti-discrimination
guidelines in assessing candidates for occupational licenses -- 94 percent
of qualified applicants with criminal convictions have successfully obtained
state-issued occupational licenses as a result. The Council’s work
and these grant-funded programs also complement the state’s Work
for Success program, which connects formerly incarcerated men and women
to jobs through connections developed through Department of Labor career
centers. Through the program, approximately 18,500 individuals across
the state have found jobs.
About the Division of Criminal Justice Services
The state Division of Criminal Justice Services is a multi-function criminal
justice support agency with a variety of responsibilities, including law
enforcement training; collection and analysis of statewide crime data;
maintenance of criminal history information and fingerprint files; administrative
oversight of the state’s DNA databank, in partnership with the New
York State Police; funding and oversight of probation and community correction
programs; administration of federal and state criminal justice funds;
support of criminal justice-related agencies across the state; and administration
of the state’s Sex Offender Registry.