New York State Council on Community Re-Entry and Reintegration

The Reentry Council Reducing Barriers for New Yorkers with Criminal Convictions Individuals with criminal convictions continue to face significant economic and social barriers to their successful reintegration into society. On average, New York State releases more than 25,000 people from prison each year and research shows that without successful re-entry policies, there is a higher rate of re-convictions. More broadly, one in three Americans has some form of a criminal background, which poses challenges to gaining employment, finding housing, and participating in the world around them. History In July 2014, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced the formation of the New York State Council on Community Re-Entry and Reintegration to identify and alleviate obstacles that individuals with criminal convictions face upon re-entering society in New York. The Re-Entry Council, made up of leaders of reentry organizations, District Attorneys and defender organizations, leaders from academia and the private sector, and formerly incarcerated individuals, promotes problem-solving and collaboration in reducing barriers affecting people with criminal convictions. The Council makes recommendations for policy, regulatory and legislative change. Since 2014, the Governor has accepted several of the Council’s recommendations. Here are some highlights that show how these changes have affected New Yorkers. The Council on Community Re-Entry and Reintegration consists of the following members: Rossana Rosado, New York Secretary of State (Co-Chair) Joseph Popcun, Executive Director Megan Meyers, Program Associate David Condliffe, Center for Community Alternatives, Executive Director Khalil Cumberbatch, New Yorkers United for Justice, Chief Strategist Soffiyah Elijah, Alliance of Families for Justice, Executive Director John Flynn, Erie County District Attorney Elizabeth Gaynes, The Osborne Association, President and CEO Jamie Ginott Ann Jacobs, Prisoner Reentry Initiative at John Jay College, Director Rick Jones, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem, Executive Director Max Kenner, Bard Prison Initiative, Executive Director Georgia Lerner, Women’s Prison Association, Executive Director George McDonald, DOE Fund, Founder and President Brenda McDuffie, Buffalo Urban League, President and CEO Julio Medina, Exodus Transitional Community Sean Pica, Hudson Link, Executive Director JoAnne Page, The Fortune Society, President and CEO Chauncey Parker, Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, Executive Assistant District Attorney and Special Policy Advisor Jessica Roth, Cardozo School of Law, Professor Paul Samuels, Legal Action Center, Director and President Sam Schaeffer, Center for Employment Opportunities, CEO Danielle Sered, Common Justice, Executive Director William Simmons, Syracuse Housing Authority, Director Madeline Singas, Nassau County District Attorney John Valverde, YouthBuild USA, CEO Christopher Watler, Center for Employment Opportunities, New York Executive Director