New York, NY - Released today by the New York State Alternatives to Incarceration (ATI) and Reentry Coalition, "Unlocking Potential: The Role of Community-Based Alternatives in Strengthening Public Safety," highlights the critical role that ATIs and reentry services play in advancing public safety and strengthening communities throughout the Empire State. Incorporating findings from a survey sent to ATI and reentry providers statewide, county-level roundtables, and focus groups with New Yorkers with lived experience in the criminal legal system, the white paper sheds light on specific service gaps and barriers and provides strategic recommendations for expanding and strengthening community-based ATIs, particularly in upstate and Western New York.

The paper comes on the heels of Governor Kathy Hochul's 2023 announcement of significant investments in criminal justice reform, including a $17.6 million increase for ATIs and a $7.6 million increase for reentry services. These investments, which make up the largest increases to non-carceral alternatives in the state in decades, reflect the state's growing recognition that public safety is best achieved through rehabilitation and support, not punishment alone.

"Our white paper highlights the clear, evidence-based benefits of alternatives to incarceration and reentry programs, demonstrating that community-based approaches are far more effective than incarceration in reducing recidivism, improving employment outcomes, and generating significant cost savings for the state," explains co-author Dr. Megan French-Marcelin, Sr. Director for NYS Policy at the NYC-based Legal Action Center, which first convened and continues to lead the NY ATI/Reentry Coalition. "For every dollar invested in ATIs, studies estimate between $3.46 and $5.54 in returns, including reduced criminal justice system costs and improved community health outcomes. However, despite these proven benefits, ATI and reentry programs remain underfunded and face significant challenges, particularly in rural and upstate counties like Monroe, Schenectady, and Onondaga, where rising incarceration rates have created a pressing need for more resources and infrastructure."

Some of the actionable recommendations offered in the report include:

• Increase ATI/Reentry Investments to Match Upstate Need: Provide flexible, robust funding for programs that prioritize person-centered, evidence-based interventions and supports, particularly in the most impacted regions.
• Expand and Improve Community-Based Services and Infrastructure: Ensure that essential services, including public transportation, behavioral health care, employment support, and perhaps most critically, affordable housing, are accessible in communities statewide.
• Strengthen Workforce Capacity: Address workforce shortages in addiction recovery, mental health care, and other critical areas by incentivizing expansions and investing in training, retention, and support for staff.
• Promote Equity in Service Delivery and Establish a Pipeline of Peers: Target resources to ensure that Black, Latine, and other marginalized communities have equal access to ATI and reentry services, and hire individuals with lived experience to help foster trust among and successfully guide those participating in ATIs and reentry programs from inception through to completion.
• Foster Cross-Sector Collaboration: Encourage coordination between state and local governments, service providers, and community organizations to enhance fruitful partnerships, simplify bureaucratic processes, and ensure effective service delivery and positive outcomes across regions.

Senator Julia Salazar (SD-18), Chair of the Senate Corrections Committee says, "If New York State has a duty to keep ALL its residents safe, we must end our reliance on incarceration as the solution to our social problems. Our community members in our jails and prisons often develop or experience exacerbated mental illness and substance use disorders while surviving imprisonment. On release, formerly incarcerated people are positioned at great socioeconomic disadvantage without supports in place to address their unique needs. We can end mass incarceration and keep our communities safe if we invest in proven programs and compassionate care. The community-based service providers, agency leaders, and program participants who contributed their expertise to this white paper are telling us what they need: access to housing, substance use treatment, behavioral health services, trauma-informed care, and workforce development programs. We must invest in the evidence-based and fiscally responsible programming offered by ATI and reentry providers."

Senator Samra G. Brouk (SD-55), Chair of the Senate Mental Health Committee says, "Individuals with serious mental health issues are overrepresented in our jails and prisons. Studies show that more than four in five incarcerated New Yorkers with mental illness do not receive the treatment they need. With culturally competent care and alternative solutions, individuals in New York State can transform their lives. We must ensure that all community members are given the chance to receive the care they deserve."

"Over the past decade, incarceration rates have surged in my home district of Rochester, revealing a growing crisis that we cannot ignore," says Assemblyman Demond Meeks (AD-137). "As our community grapples with poverty, trauma, and escalating mental health challenges, it is clear that we need a new, more holistic approach to public safety-one that addresses the root causes of people's involvement with the criminal legal system. This white paper outlines the vital role that alternatives to incarceration and reentry services play, not only in enhancing public safety, but in breaking the devastating cycle of incarceration, economic insecurity, poor health, and re-incarceration. To build a stronger New York for all, we must invest in people over punishment by scaling these life-affirming solutions in Rochester and beyond."

"This report underscores the critical need to expand and support recovery and reentry programs, particularly in underserved communities across the state. The historical 'War on Drugs' has disproportionately harmed Black and brown communities, perpetuating cycles of incarceration. Policies such as expanding drug-checking services, implementing 'Treatment Not Jails' initiatives, and enhancing recovery support services are essential to addressing substance use as a health issue rather than a criminal one. By investing in these evidence-based, community-centered approaches, we can enhance public safety and provide individuals with the tools to rebuild their lives," says Senator Nathalia Fernandez (SD-34), Chair of the Senate Alcoholism and Substance Use Disorders Committee.

"It's important to ensure New Yorkers have access to the services and supports they need when returning to their communities," says Senator Zellnor Myrie (SD-20). "We must use every tool at our disposal to improve public safety, and robust reentry services are a critical component of this work."

"We have demonstrated proof of concept in New York City that ATI and reentry services not only help people get out and stay out of jail and prison but also move on with their lives and support their families and communities. As demonstrated in this white paper, there is a significant need to bring ATI and reentry services to scale statewide," says Stanley Richards, President and CEO of The Fortune Society. "While New York City has seen a significant reduction in incarceration rates since the 1990s, rates in upstate and Western New York, where ATI programs are lacking, have grown by more than 60 percent. Further, this means more New Yorkers are released from prison to upstate and rural communities where reentry supports are also limited. As the white paper shows, service providers and program participants alike report critical shortages of funding, staff, and essential services such as housing, substance use treatment, and mental health care in these communities. It is also very important to note that Black and Latine New Yorkers continue to face disproportionately high incarceration rates statewide, with disparities even more pronounced in rural areas. In some upstate counties, Black residents are nearly 20 times more likely to be convicted of a felony than their white counterparts, underscoring the urgent need for targeted, equitable solutions. Our white paper identifies the current opportunity and service gaps that hinder the success of ATIs and reentry programs. It also provides guidance on how to fill these gaps, especially in regions with the greatest need, thereby addressing longstanding racialized disparities."

Jonathan McLean, CEO of CASES, says, "More than 2,000 individuals in New York's state prisons have a serious mental illness, and many thousands more struggle with mental health challenges. Incarceration worsens their conditions through a lack of access to mental health care, rehabilitation services, and appropriate reentry support. When they return to our communities, they often lack the skills to succeed and avoid rearrest. To achieve true public safety, we need to build robust alternatives to incarceration for people with mental illness throughout the state. Our Nathaniel ACT program shows how successful these programs can be: 94% of participants have no new felony convictions in the two years after they complete the program; employment doubles among participants; and clients see a 70% decrease in homelessness. Now is the time to expand access to programs like Nathaniel ACT to increase public safety by providing effective alternatives to jail and prison for people with mental illness."

Meg Egan, CEO of the Women's Prison Association says, "This white paper clearly lays out just how essential robust, coordinated, responsive ATI and reentry services are to individuals' success and safe communities. We know this is true for everyone, and particularly women who are often the primary caregivers to their children. Meeting women where they are and providing them with the housing, employment, and behavioral health services they need will give them and their children meaningful opportunities for success. Every person who comes into contact with the criminal legal system across New York State should have access to these essential services not just so they can move on but thrive in life - for themselves, their families, and their communities."

Claire Cousin, Columbia County Board of Supervisors says, "As a supervisor in Columbia County in upstate New York, and a longtime advocate for reentry services, I am pleased by the findings of this report. It highlights a critical issue: upstate communities are not currently equipped to adequately serve individuals reentering society. The barriers they face are insurmountable - barriers that would set anyone up for failure. These are some of the most vulnerable individuals, returning home to zero resources. When you couple that with the inaccessibility of services, lack of communication with DOCCS, and a fragmented support system, it becomes a recipe for disaster. We can no longer expect people to 'pull themselves up by their bootstraps' when the resources to help them are not available. The reentry issue deserves our full attention, and this report clearly outlines how we can begin to create solutions. I believe that all of the right stakeholders are at the table, and this is how we can build lasting change for those who need it most."

Sam Shaeffer, CEO of Center for Employment Opportunities, says, "We know that when we invest in workforce development, we are building thriving communities. Access to wrap-around vocational services, while receiving immediate pay, increases long-term employment and equips justice-impacted people with the tools to achieve economic and social mobility. This white paper documents the systemic barriers that fuel cycles of poverty while advocating for sensible and evidence-based solutions that will benefit everyone in the greater New York region."

"New York State has an opportunity to lead by making good on its promise of investment and scaling up alternatives to incarceration and reentry programs that are demonstrated to be cost-effective, transformative for participants, and strongly favored by the public," says Jonathan Monsalve, President and CEO of Osborne Association. "As a longtime provider of ATI and reentry services, we know that these interventions support career development, improve health and mental health outcomes, and promote equity by interrupting the lifelong negative consequences of confinement in jail and prison that impact communities of color in higher proportion. Any way you look at it, as this important new report underscores, the argument for substantial and sustained investment is clear."

"As one of the first community-based alternative to incarceration programs in the State of New York, the Center for Community Alternatives has long demonstrated that public safety is best achieved by strengthening communities through evidence-based alternatives to jail/prison and reentry services - not perpetual punishment," says David Condliffe, Executive Director of Center for Community Alternatives. "Our four decades of experience show that when people have access to housing, employment, and individualized support, they not only stay out of jail and prison, but they also thrive and contribute to their families and communities. However, as highlighted in this white paper, critical gaps persist in New York's upstate and rural regions, where incarceration rates have soared and services are severely limited. By scaling up these programs statewide and addressing racialized disparities, New York has an opportunity to lead the nation in building stronger, safer communities rooted in care and opportunity."

"Every day at EAC Network, we witness the profound, life-changing effects of alternatives to incarceration and reentry services," says Neela Mukherjee Lockel, President and CEO of EAC Network. "These programs do more than reduce recidivism - they strengthen families, enhance public safety, and build healthier communities. To fully realize their potential, policymakers must act on this report's recommendations by increasing funding, addressing workforce challenges, and dismantling systemic barriers. Equitable access to these vital services is essential to ensuring that no community is left behind. By addressing gaps in funding, workforce capacity, and infrastructure, New York State can strengthen its justice system, ensuring it prioritizes rehabilitation, equity, and public safety."

"This white paper reaffirms what we've known for years: fostering public safety requires a focus on strengthening communities and expanding evidence-based alternatives to incarceration," says Reverend Wendy Calderón-Payne, Executive Director of Urban Youth Alliance (BronxConnect). "Transformation happens when we invest in opportunity, including mental health services, stable housing, employment, counseling, and mentorship. The evidence is irrefutable: these are the critical resources that drive meaningful change. This report not only underscores the urgent need to bring these comprehensive resources to scale across New York State, but it also presents practical and targeted solutions to build more resilient, safer communities."

"The verdict is clear: alternatives to incarceration are an essential part of public safety and community development," says Marlon Peterson, Executive Director of College and Community Fellowship (CCF). "For 25 years, CCF has been providing women and gender-expansive people impacted by incarceration with financial and social-emotional support to obtain higher education. We have positioned hundreds of women to be leaders of their own lives and for the communities to which they return. The monies supplied through ATI programming is a model for how to do community safety differently, and as incarceration rates increase in upstate New York communities, increasing support for community-powered initiatives like ATI programming can lead the charge to safer neighborhoods across the State."

To read the full white paper, click here.

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Media Contact:

Arianne Keegan
Director of Communications, Legal Action Center
communications@lac.org
(212) 243-1313

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