Reentry Task Force

By Janet DiFiore

More than half of convicted offenders returned to Westchester County upon completion of their sentence of imprisonment are rearrested within three years.  The rate at which ex-offenders recidivate might lead one to question the efficacy of rehabilitative treatment programs and services available to assist returning offenders and perhaps even conclude that efforts to rehabilitate and successfully reintegrate certain ex-offenders might be a futile venture.

Every year approximately 26,000 convicted offenders are released from state prison and more than 100,000 offenders are returned to our communities from local jails and penitentiaries.  And virtually every one of these thousands of offenders faces a host of problems likely to interfere with their successful reintegration into their families and their communities.  According to the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, 80% of ex-offenders have a history of substance abuse; 16% are diagnosed with a mental illness; nearly half are functionally illiterate; many were, or will become, homeless; and most are unemployed upon release. 

Policymakers, law enforcement officials and service providers across New York State and throughout the nation are beginning to embrace effective reentry programming as an opportunity to successfully reintegrate offenders.  These entities have done so based on an understanding that the provision of appropriate services and post-release supervision can reduce recidivism and prevent future victimization, thereby benefiting all of us in the community by improving public safety. 

Recognizing the critical role that local communities play in reintegrating offenders, we in Westchester County have formed a Reentry Task Force.  The Task Force is charged with improving the county’s ability to effectively provide the support and services many released offenders need to successfully reintegrate into the community and lead law-abiding, productive lives.  The goal is to develop and implement a coordinated and comprehensive continuum of care and supervision for those who need assistance.              

I eagerly accepted the offer to chair the Reentry Task Force and am honored to lead this important initiative by convening and coordinating a strong and effective Task Force.  The Reentry Task Force brings together the expertise and resources of a broad spectrum of entities, including the District Attorney’s Office, the County Executive, the Yonkers Police Department, the White Plains Department of Public Safety, the Westchester County Departments of Probation, Corrections, Social Services and Community Mental Health as well as vocational and educational program providers and faith-based organizations.  As we move toward understanding the needs and challenges of the former offender population and determine gaps in services, additional and appropriate partners will join our effort.  A collaborative and cooperative approach ensures that services – including substance abuse treatment, mental health services, job placement, vocational training and educational programming – will be provided in a coordinated and comprehensive manner. 

In Westchester County, we are paying particular attention to employment, mental health, substance abuse and housing.  Nearly 40% of the offender population in Westchester County is unemployed; 84% have a history of drug abuse and the availability of affordable housing is scarce.  Our rationale is simple: an offender who is employed, sober and living in a stable home environment is less likely to return to a life of crime. 

Effective re-entry policies are also cost-effective.  With incarceration costing more than $30,000 per person per year, in Fiscal Year 2004-2005 New York State spent approximately $2.4 billion on corrections.  Helping formerly incarcerated people become productive, law-abiding, tax-paying and gainfully employed citizens can yield significant, long-term cost-savings.  Cost-savings would be evident across a wide range of government programs, including welfare and child support.  A successfully reintegrated former offender would avoid entering the welfare system and be in a better position to meet child support obligations.  For former offenders who successfully transition home, there is also an immeasurable benefit for the children and families with whom they reunite.

Former offenders have paid their debt to society and are entitled to a second chance.  But for an ex-offender arriving on our doorstep with few skills, perhaps only a high school education, a criminal record and little more than bus fare, what are the prospects for a meaningful second chance?

Reentry programming offers a unique opportunity to achieve enhanced and sustained public safety.  With the formation of the Reentry Task Force, Westchester County has taken its first step toward ensuring the provision of necessary and appropriate treatment, programs and services for those exiting the prison door and reentering our community.