Officials throughout the country are recognizing the value of successful reentry programs with increasingly greater frequency. In recent news, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that more than $5 million in grant funding will go toward 23 programs throughout New York designed to help post-release offenders successfully re-enter their communities.
“Reducing recidivism in communities across the state will not only create safer streets, but will also expand opportunity and improve the lives of all New Yorkers,” Governor Cuomo said, continuing, “Research has shown that half of felony offenders and three-quarters of misdemeanor offenders who are sentenced to jail will re-enter the system within five years.”
As a part of Governor Cuomo’s initiative, he announced the formation of the Council on Community Re-Entry and Reintegration during a January State of the State address. The council was created to coordinate state resources directed toward “stopping the revolving door of incarceration,” and will bring officials from a wide array of state agencies together in an attempt to address all possible issues related to successful reentry.
You can read the details of the funding, including where the money will go and how much each agency will receive here.
At GEO Reentry Services, our goal is to provide successful evidence-based reentry programs that not only prepare participants for reintegration into society but keep the public safe by targeting and changing criminal behavior. In nearby Pennsylvania, GEO Reentry is set to implement nine reentry programs for parolees in February. At this programs, GEO Reentry will offer day reporting, cognitive behavioral therapy, employment readiness and more.