Press release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Walter Fields
(646) 942-2788 (cell)
(212) 614-5453 (office)

Tracy Munford
(212) 614-5538 (office)
(646) 483-6804 (cell)

New York City Reentry Roundtable Calls Upon State Legislators to Address the Reentry of the Formerly Incarcerated

First Reentry Advocacy Day Focuses on Legislation in Six Major Areas

New York, NY, May 22, 2007 -- The New York City Reentry Roundtable, a project of the Community Service Society of New York (CSS), will hold its first Reentry Advocacy Day in Albany on Tuesday, May 22, to speak with legislators and staff about the challenges facing formerly incarcerated New Yorkers and promote policy initiatives to assist the reentry of the formerly incarcerated into the workforce and their home communities. More than 100 advocates, family members, and formerly incarcerated will travel to the state capital.

The New York City Reentry Roundtable was launched in December 2005 by CSS to provide a forum to discuss issues and identify public policy solutions to assist the formerly incarcerated in New York State.

“As the rate of incarceration shows little sign of letting up, we have found that recidivism has undermined the stability of families and communities, and that the formerly incarcerated lack economic opportunity and political voice,” said David R. Jones, president and CEO of CSS. Jones continued, “There are more than 63,000 inmates in New York State prisons. Once released these individuals – fathers, mothers, sons and daughters – return to a handful of communities in high concentration. Many soon find themselves unable to secure employment and, as a result, are at-risk of engaging in activity that will result in further imprisonment. The number of families affected illustrates a crisis that impacts every New Yorker, particularly residents of low-income communities. That is why CSS must play a vital role in giving the formerly incarcerated a voice, in addition to providing resources to address systemic barriers to reentry.”

While in Albany, Roundtable participants will meet with legislative staff and have the opportunity to hear from Assemblyman Jeff Aubrey, chairman of the Assembly Committee on Correction, and Assemblyman Darryl Towns, chairman of the Legislative Black, Hispanic and Asian Caucus.

The New York City Reentry Roundtable has developed a number of proposals that address unfair obstacles faced by the formerly incarcerated in healthcare, employment, family reunification, housing, education, and civic participation.

In the area of healthcare, the New York City Reentry Roundtable supports legislation that authorizes Department of Health oversight of health and local correctional facilities.

In employment, the New York City Reentry Roundtable supports legislation that protects employers who comply with New York State’s law encouraging employment of individuals with criminal records from negligent hiring claims. The Roundtable also supports proposals to reduce licensing barriers, strengthen anti-disclosure laws, and extend existing discrimination protections to current employees, as well as the creation of a $25 million Wage Subsidy Program specifically for qualified job seekers with criminal records. These proposals have also been recommended by the Independent Committee on Reentry and Employment.

In the area of family connections, the New York City Reentry Roundtable supports the Family Connections Bill (A.3397/S.705), which will permanently end the 57.7 percent backdoor tax on New York State’s prison telephone contract and ensure that no future governor can reinstate the tax. The New York Campaign for Telephone Justice is a major proponent of this legislation.

In the area of child support, the New York City Reentry Roundtable is requesting movement on two items, including a public review and report to examine the levels of arrears amassed by incarcerated non-custodial parents and the affects of these arrears on labor market participation after release.

In housing, the New York City Reentry Roundtable is requesting movement on four issues, including legislation to protect individuals seeking housing from unfair discrimination based on arrests that did not lead to convictions and state funding for both permanent supportive and transitional housing for individuals being released from prison and jail. The housing proposals are endorsed by the New York City Reentry Housing Roundtable and have been recommended by the New York State Bar Association Special Committee on Collateral Consequences of Criminal Proceedings.

In education, the New York City Reentry Roundtable is requesting the reinstatement of the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) grants for higher education courses in state prisons and the passage of legislation to prohibit colleges and universities from banning the applications of formerly incarcerated individuals. These proposals have also been recommended by the National H.I.R.E. Network, College & Community Fellowship, Citizens Against Recidivism, the Correctional Association, and the Bard Prison Initiative.

On voting rights, the New York City Reentry Roundtable supports legislation to eliminate restrictions on voting for people on parole so that all persons who have been released from prison are allowed to vote. This proposal is also recommended by the New York State Bar Association Special Committee on Collateral Consequences of Criminal Proceedings.

Gabriel Torres-Rivera, director of the CSS New York City Reentry Roundtable, said, “Every month for more than two years, we have convened advocates, family members, and the formerly incarcerated to discuss issues important to the formerly incarcerated; from employment to healthcare to financial management.” Torres-Rivera noted, “There is a great deal of work to be done to create humane public policy that gives the formerly incarcerated an opportunity to become productive members of society.”

Leading efforts in Albany will be Torres-Rivera and Walter Fields, Vice President of Government Relations and Public Affairs at CSS. Following Advocacy Day, the New York City Reentry Roundtable will work to win the support of legislative and executive agency leadership for its public policy agenda.

Attachments available upon request: Barriers to Employment; Talking Points

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