Manhattan District Attorney's Criminal Justice Investment Initiative - Progress rePort
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Manhattan District Attorney's Criminal Justice Investment Initiative Progress Report March 2019
L etter from D is t ric t At t o r n e y Va n ce
Since 2009, the Manhattan DA’s Office has received over $3
billion seized in international financial crime prosecutions:
$1.1 billion went directly to New York City, and $2 billion
went directly to New York State. With the $250 million that
remained with our office, my office created the Criminal
Justice Investment Initiative (CJII) to invest in transformative
projects that strengthen and support our youth, families, and
communities in New York City.
I am pleased to share with you the progress to date of CJII,
a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to spur innovation, test new
approaches, and rigorously evaluate untested models. And
we are already starting to see results. More than 8,000 New
Yorkers have received crucial services as a result of CJII
investments so far.
I am eternally grateful to the 50 grantee organizations that are being funded through CJII. They are the
ones on the frontlines, working tirelessly to ensure that New Yorkers have access to the services they
need. It is a result of their deep commitment that we are making an impact with these investments.
Thank you to the CUNY Institute for State and Local Governance, our technical assistance consultant,
for its expert guidance and consultation, and for spearheading the management of this initiative.
We look forward to continued collaboration with stakeholders who have generously shared their exper-
tise in helping make CJII a reality. In the years ahead, we will have additional data and research, and
we are committed to sharing these findings with practitioners and policymakers to ensure that effec-
tive approaches are replicated and sustained far and wide.
By working together, we can make our city safer and help our communities build lasting change in the
years and decades to come.
Cyrus R. Vance, Jr.
Manhattan District Attorney
3
L etter from Mic ha el J ac o b s o n
We began working with the Manhattan DA’s Office in 2014 to
put together a blueprint for its Criminal Justice Investment
Initiative (CJII). Since the very beginning, the DA's Office and
District Attorney Vance have been forward-thinking about
their investment approach. They have focused on invest-
ments to prevent crime, and they have committed to invest-
ing both in programs that have been shown to work and in
testing new ideas.
Today, we work closely with the DA’s Office to help manage
and support the 50 CJII grantees and more than 100 CJII
subcontractors that range from community-based organiza-
tions to universities to large hospitals. Together, we have
focused on engaging and building strong relationships with
these grantees to support them and build their capacity.
It is a pleasure to work with these organizations that are deeply embedded in and committed to
strengthening our communities. We commend the District Attorney for investing in these organizations
and their programs and for investing in CJII grantee training and technical assistance to ensure sus-
tainability long term. We look forward to continuing this work in the years to come.
Michael Jacobson
Executive Director, CUNY Institute for State and Local Governance
4
Ta bl e of Conten t s
INTRODUCTION 7
About CJII 7
Background 9
IMPACT TO DATE 10
Goal 1: Supporting Young People and Families 10
Goal 2: Supporting Survivors of Crime 18
Goal 3: Enhance Diversion and Reentry Support 22
ENSURING LONG-TERM IMPACT 28
Capital Investment 28
Evaluation 28
Training and Technical Assistance 29
APPENDIX: ALL CJII INVESTMENTS 30
5
INTRO D UC T ION
resources they need to succeed. Second, CJII is
About the Criminal supporting people who have been victims of
Justice Investment crime to address their trauma and mitigate
Initiative (CJII) future victimization. And third, CJII is focusing on
people who are returning home after periods of
incarceration or diverting people from the
Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr.
justice system altogether, helping to ensure
established the Criminal Justice Investment
that they have the resources and supports they
Initiative to invest $250 million seized in interna-
need to be successful.
tional financial crime prosecutions to strengthen
and support communities in New York City. CJII is CJII investments are primarily focused on four
a first-of-its kind effort to support innovative key neighborhoods in Manhattan: East Harlem,
community projects that fill critical gaps and Central & West Harlem, Washington Heights, and
needs in New York City. Guided by the principle the Lower East Side. In comparison to other
of prevention as a cornerstone of a 21st century areas of Manhattan, residents in these neighbor-
crime-fighting strategy, the investments that hoods experience worse economic prospects;2
have been made represent a comprehensive, poorer health; lower educational attainment;3
forward-looking approach to improving the and higher rates of prison admission.4 These
well-being and safety of all New Yorkers. factors contribute to heightened violence and
reduced safety in homes, schools and communi-
CJII is a laboratory for testing new and innovative
ties, and lead to residents’ increased involve-
approaches. Proofs-of-concepts are being
ment in the justice system. By focusing our
generated that can provide a road map to juris-
resources on these neighborhoods, we can
dictions near and far on how to revitalize their
strengthen all of our communities.
communities and build lasting change. Ground-
breaking approaches are being evaluated and
findings will be disseminated in the coming years
so that experts and practitioners can learn from WASHINGTON
CJII and effective approaches can be replicated HEIGHTS
and sustained in Manhattan and beyond.
CENTRAL
Since 2016, 50 grantees have been funded AND WEST
through CJII and are providing crucial services to HARLEM
EAST
New York City residents. This report presents the
HARLEM
progress of CJII to date—nearly two years after the
first funds became available in June 2016.1 A
summary of key performance measurement data
and other indicators are included throughout the
report to demonstrate early indicators of success.
LOWER
CJII is organized along a continuum across three EAST
areas, all of which are focused on strengthening SIDE
communities. First, CJII is supporting young
people and families to make sure they have the
7
These CJII investments began implementation on a To do this, CJII is:
rolling basis in 2017 and are currently at various • Supporting its grantees, especially grass-
stages of planning and implementation. Neverthe- roots organizations, to build or improve their
less, early data can demonstrate how some of internal strategies and capacity through
these initiatives are already improving outcomes for training and technical assistance to ensure
the people they are serving. long-term sustainability.
To date, CJII funds have supported more than • Fostering collaboration and partnerships
8,000 people across New York City and New among service providers and across sectors.
York State. Reflecting the diversity of invest- • Investing in capital improvements to increase
ments, CJII has supported people regardless of the appeal and functionality of service
age, ethnicity, or lived experience, including delivery locations.
immigrants, individuals who are LGBTQ, and
• Increasing access to services for under-
people with disabilities. Reflecting CJII’s empha-
served groups, including young people of
sis on place-based strategies, two-thirds of all
color, immigrants, LGBTQ individuals, people
people supported to date live in Manhattan,
who are D/deaf or hard of hearing, and
including 51% in the four focus neighborhoods
people who have a disability.
described above and 14% in other neighbor-
hoods of Manhattan. The remaining 35% of • Rigorously evaluating untested models
participants live in other boroughs of New York to determine best practices and bolster
City or elsewhere in New York State. evidence-based reporting in social
service programs.
CJII seeks to ensure that the work continues for
years to come and has sustained impact far
beyond the length of these investments.
FO C U S ARE A 1 FOC U S ARE A 2 FOC U S ARE A 3
Supporting Young People Supporting Victims Diverting People from the
and Families of Crime Justice System & Supporting
Reentry to Communities
I n v e s t me n t s I n v e s t me n t s I n v e s t me n t s
• Youth Opportunity Hubs • Increase Access to Services for • College-in-Prison
• Family & Youth Development Survivors of Crime Reentry Program
• Foster Youth Transitioning • Abusive Partner Intervention • Adult Project Reset
to Adulthood Program • Reentry Supports & Services
• Community Navigators • Center for Trauma Innovation • Reentry Innovation Challenge
• Social Enterprises
8,000 50 $113,501,414
People Served Grantees Committed*
*Note: a full overview of commitments and earmarks is included in the Appendix.
8
Background affect public safety in New York City. In addi-
tion, ISLG engaged in extensive interviews with
more than 250 experts in the justice field and
S t r at egic Approac h social and human services industry, including
Given the unprecedented nature of this oppor- academics, clinical practitioners, elected
tunity, the Manhattan DA’s Office sought officials, representatives of government agen-
expert consultation from the CUNY Institute for cies, and leaders from philanthropy, nonprofit,
State and Local Governance, a policy and and grassroots organizations. These organiza-
research institute with deep expertise in tions ranged from small community-based
criminal justice issues, to support the forma- organizations with specific expertise to large
tion of CJII. ISLG oversees CJII on behalf of the nonprofits that work across neighborhoods and
Manhattan DA’s Office and provides technical substantive areas. Opportunities for invest-
assistance for the Initiative, including manag- ment were underscored throughout this analy-
ing the solicitation and contracting process, sis and outreach and were ultimately incorpo-
providing guidance to award recipients, and rated into CJII’s strategic plan and
providing oversight and performance measure- investments. These areas included:
ment throughout the lifetime of the Initiative.
• Service coordination to increase collabora-
ISLG managed the process of developing the tion among service providers and breakdown
CJII strategic plan and supported the Manhat- service silos
tan DA’s Office to formulate CJII's goals and
• Access to programs for underserved popula-
priorities. To do so, ISLG conducted a thorough
tions
analysis of the latest research on topics that
• Cultural competency within the service
sector
• Leveraging the expertise and building the
The Manhattan District Attorney’s capacity of grassroots service providers
Office selected the City University of • Integrated trauma-informed services
New York Institute for State and
Local Governance (ISLG) through a
Solic i tat ion &
competitive process to serve as the
Selec t ion Pro c e s s
technical assistance consultant on
CJII investments are primarily funded through
CJII. ISLG provides recommendations
public, competitive solicitations managed by
on investment strategies to the ISLG. CJII releases specific requests for propos-
District Attorney’s Office. ISLG als, and responses are reviewed by a team of
manages the solicitation and internal and external experts based on the crite-
contracting process, provides ria described in each solicitation. Applicants
that are selected undergo a background check
guidance and oversight to award
to assess their technical capacity, financial
recipients, and conducts capacity, and operational integrity before any
performance measurement final funding decisions are made.
throughout the initiative.
9
IMPAC T TO DATE 5
Goal 1: Supporting Young problems, school dropout, antisocial behavior,
People and Families and involvement in the justice system,7 as well
as reduce recidivism.
Young people and families in all our communities The four CJII programs in this portfolio all at-
are resilient and strong, but at the same time, an tempt to build an array of community-based
ample base of evidence shows that neighbor- services that support people through positive,
hood conditions, in particular exposure to opportunity-based programming. They include:
violence, can have a huge impact on young
people’s life trajectories and outcomes. In • Youth Opportunity Hubs: Youth Opportunity
addition, factors related to family structure, Hubs provide comprehensive support to
parental incarceration, intrafamily relationships, young people by linking neighborhood
family violence, parental supervision, and disci- service providers and leveraging the exper-
pline have been found to be associated with tise of grassroots organizations.
eventual involvement in the justice system.6 • Family and Youth Development: These
Therefore, early attempts to support healthy programs support “two-generation” approach-
family development can prevent subsequent es for young people—from infancy to adult-
child and family risk factors, including academic hood—and their families and caregivers.
10
• Community Navigators: Community Naviga- ties such as sports and arts. They utilize positive
tors are a network of trained peers and youth development frameworks,9 which empha-
social workers that serve as a bridge to guide size the role of assets, opportunities, and re-
individuals across systems, city agencies, sources in healthy adolescent development.
and organizations to ensure they are access-
ing the resources to meet their needs and Through September 2018, the Hubs have
achieve their goals. served 3,636 young people, ages 14 to 24;
64% are age 20 or younger.
• Foster Youth Transitioning to Adulthood:
These programs seek to improve outcomes The participants present with a range of needs
for young people aging out of foster care and skills. Reflecting this broad approach:
through targeted strategies, including coach-
• 37% of Hub participants are “disconnected,”
ing, educational support, workforce develop-
or not engaged in school or work
ment, and housing.
• Approximately 16% had been arrested prior to
engaging with the Hub
You t h Opp or t unit y Hub s
Current best practices for working with young
3,636
people emphasize the importance of wrap-
around approaches,8 which coordinate family,
community, school, and agency resources
based on a young person’s individualized Young people served since
needs. In New York City, numerous service the Hubs opened their
providers seek to support young people, but doors in June 2017.
they are often scattered and are not financially
incentivized through typical funding structures
to work together. To that end, CJII created five
neighborhood-based Youth Opportunity Hubs
to disrupt this pattern of disjointed service What will you find
provision and improve service quality, coordi- at a Hub?
nation, and outcomes for youth.
• Educational assistance
Youth Opportunity Hubs are coordinated
service delivery networks that include co-locat- • Mentorship
ed services and warm hand-offs among provid-
• Employment training
ers to comprehensively serve young people’s
needs. More than 60 service providers, includ- • Assistance securing housing
ing grassroots organizations, across five Hubs
are receiving funds to build these “neighbor- • Trauma & substance use services
hood safety nets” in East Harlem, West/
Central Harlem, Washington Heights, and the • Mental health counseling
Lower East Side.
• Legal assistance
Hubs provide workforce and educational oppor-
tunities, as well as mentorship, mental health • Arts & recreational programs
support, and a wide range of enrichment activi-
11
Hub s Par t ic ipant s “Rickie” provides an illustration
by t he Numbers of how the Hubs work in practice.
“Rickie” is 22 years old. He came
to The Door seeking employment
72% support. He has recently been street
homeless and has intermittently
engage in "prosocial services" stayed with friends throughout the
such as mentoring city. Rickie has been arrested multiple
times over the past few years and
is unclear about his court status.
47%
In the past two months, as a result
of targeted engagement and more
receive health services accessible services from the Hub,
Rickie has been connected to CASES
through an internal coordinator.
He is now enrolled in a high school
25% equivalency program, where he
is doing well. He is also in contact
receive employment support with CASES court advocates as a
result of their partnership with The
Door and is receiving support in
25% navigating his case. He is utilizing
the Hub’s counseling services and
receive education support maintaining consistent attendance,
which is serving him well both
personally and in court. Additionally,
through a connection to another of
11% The Door’s partner organizations, he
has received a state ID, vital records,
receive services to strengthen
and access to health insurance,
their family supports which had previously prohibited him
from participating in an employment
program. He is now working with
5% the Hub career coordinator, a more
flexible means of engaging in career
receive other supports coaching that seems to work well for
related to criminal Rickie, and has completed his resume
justice involvement and gone on several job interviews.
12Family & You t h As of September 2018, the nine Family and Youth
Development programs had served 809 families,
De velopment
supporting young people at all ages—from early
Families living in New York City (and, indeed, childhood (0 to 5 years old, 23%) to middle
elsewhere) face stressors that can have a childhood (6 to 10 years old, 30%) to early adoles-
negative effect on children and other family cence (11 to 13 years old, 36%), adolescence
members, ranging from living conditions in their (14 to 16 years old, 7%), and late adolescence to
communities to disruptions within their families. adulthood (17 to 21 years and older, 4%).
Interventions that support family and youth
development, including bonds within the family The Family and Youth Development portfolio
and the ability to cope with distressing circum- features nine separate approaches to two-gener-
stances, have been found to be effective in ational programming. A few programs are high-
preventing undesired life outcomes.10 lighted below.
This CJII investment seeks to expand the capac-
FAMILY & YOUTH DEVELOPMENT
ity of evidence-based, promising, and innovative
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHT:
programs serving families with children age 21
Legal Aid Society
and under. CJII has invested in nine organiza-
tions across New York City to develop and Students with disciplinary issues or learning or
expand innovative programs that support both developmental disabilities are at higher risk of
youth and families. This “two-generation” becoming involved in the criminal justice system.
approach provides comprehensive support to With CJII funds, the Legal Aid Society is providing
parents, guardians, other family members, and legal advocacy for young, low-income students
youth to help strengthen relationships and and their families who may be at risk of being
encourage healthy family functioning. This suspended or who have disabilities. In addition to
framework acknowledges both the challenges providing legal advocacy, Legal Aid is leading
and sources of strength found in family units as know-your-rights sessions for parents and guard-
a whole and seeks to support each individual ians, as well as offering support groups for par-
within the family with tailored services. ents. To date, the program has served 67 clients.
13Family & You t h De velopmen t Par t ic ipan t s:
Age C omp o sit ion of par t ic ipat ing c hildren
0-5 6-10
years old, years old,
809
23% 30%
17-21+
years old, Families served
4%
since 2017
11-13
years old,
36%
14-16
years old,
7%
Legal Aid represented a pre-teen girl who had initially attended public school but
was homeschooled later in the school year. Her mother had pulled her out of school,
believing that the school was ignoring her concerns about her daughter’s academic
and emotional needs. After the client began homeschooling, the mother requested a
psychoeducational evaluation from the Department of Education, which revealed that
her daughter had overall average cognitive ability and that she performed at average
or low-average levels in almost all academic areas. Despite the fact that the client
had scored at more than two years below grade level in this area, the school had
never previously referred her for special education services. Legal Aid was concerned
that the evaluation scores were still just enough to allow a school team to deny her
special education services, especially since she had left a traditional school setting
prior to the evaluation being conducted. A staff attorney attended the Individualized
Education Program (IEP) meeting with the parent and helped convince the team that
special education services were warranted in order to address what appeared to be a
reading-related learning disability. After the IEP was developed, Legal Aid also helped
the parent find a public school seat for her daughter, and from all reports, the child is
happy and thriving in her new school.
14FAMILY & YOUTH DEVELOPMENT C ommu ni t y Navig ators
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHT:
In spite of the many services and resources
Sanctuary for Families
available to New York City residents, many
The impact and trauma of domestic violence can people do not or cannot access all the resources
have lasting effects on families. With CJII funds, and services that could support them. This is in
Sanctuary for Families is supporting and strength- part due to stigma surrounding resources, a lack
ening families affected by domestic violence, of awareness of available services, bureaucratic
including parents who suffer domestic abuse and service silos that make access difficult, and
the children who witness it. Sanctuary is working referrals that lack follow-up or engagement. To
with STEPS to End Family Violence by providing indi- that end, CJII tested a new East Harlem pilot
vidual and family therapy to address and reduce program in partnership with the Silberman
trauma symptoms in children and to increase School of Social Work at Hunter College that
parents’ self-efficacy and support the healing takes a unique approach to peer navigation.
process. This is critical in helping these children
The Community Navigators Program hires and
and their caregivers build stronger relationships.
trains people whose diverse lived experiences
To date, the program has served 206 families. mirror those who are served by the program to
Many of these families have been disrupted by work as navigators and connect with individuals
interpersonal violence, and 92% are headed by a where they work and live, helping guide them to
single parent or caregiver. vital services that they are not accessing. The
navigators are based in neighborhoods and
community organizations, but they primarily work
What do Family & Youth on-the-go, connecting individuals across organi-
Development programs zations, city agencies, and systems. This helps
provide? East Harlem residents and others who have
connections to the neighborhood unlock bureau-
• Educational assistance
cracy within the service sector and locate,
• Parent/caregiver education & connect, engage, and stay involved with the
support groups services they need. Unlike many peer programs,
the Community Navigators bring great diversity in
• Mental health services for youth & lived experiences and offer insight and expertise
caregivers in multiple New York City services areas. This
• Employment training peer navigation program connects underserved
individuals with existing resources and services,
• Safe spaces in schools improving coordination and collaboration among
• Youth empowerment & leadership services providers, and creating employment
opportunities within underserved communities.
• Legal advocacy and know-your-
864
rights for parents & guardians
• Trauma training
• Healthy relationships programming People served by
Community Navigators
• Family therapy
15A mother of two with roots in East Harlem was living in a homeless shelter with
her children. They entered the shelter system due to domestic violence with a
boyfriend. The family moved to a number of shelters throughout their engagement
with the Navigator, regularly changing neighborhoods, losing contact information,
and disconnecting from support services. At each juncture, the family always knew
how to find their Navigator and that their Navigator would remain a trusted ally.
The Navigator served as a reliable bridge to services and supported the mother in
working towards independence. Over six months, the Navigator helped the mom
acquire missing documentation and understand her rights in terms of housing.
The Navigator ensured that the applications to housing programs were submitted
and that the mother understood the status of those applications. The Navigator
has helped link the mom to a job training program, which she completed, and the
Navigator is now supporting her as she finds employment. Whenever the mother
struggles to cope with life’s stressors, or if the children present with educational or
emotional difficulties, the Navigator is there to provide support and ensure that the
family knows that help is available when the timing is right. Ultimately, the Navigator
and mother are working in partnership to keep the family feeling positive as they
navigate the homeless system and focus on supporting the children’s education and
healing from domestic violence. Together, they advocate for permanent housing and
work to identify pathways to independence.
16Fo s t er You t h comprehensively support youth in entering a
living wage career path by age 25. For some
T r an sit ioning
youth, that means college. For others who are
to Adult hood not interested in college at this time, the SLAM
When foster youth “age out” of the child welfare program connects youth to its workforce track.
system, it means they exit foster care without SLAM is primarily engaging youth between the
being adopted or without parental custody ages of 16 and 24 in three locations: the
being reinstated. More than 600 young people Bronx, Harlem, and Brooklyn.
in New York City age out of foster care each
year without permanent families.11 Young Some participants are matched with a youth
people who exit the foster care system without coach who works with them to develop career
additional support are disproportionately and educational goals, as well as action plans
involved in the criminal justice system and have to achieve them over time. Others may elect to
poorer educational, employment, and housing be connected to targeted services, which may
outcomes than other youth.12 According to one also serve as an entry point to coaching. All
study, 15 percent of young people in New York youth have access to an array of program
City who were discharged from foster care components, including academic support,
between ages 13 and 18 from 2004 to 2006 employment readiness and support, financial
had a jail stay within six years.13 Once in contact assistance, housing support, and referrals to
with the justice system, foster youth face substance use and mental health treatment.
exceptional circumstances, including bias in Graham SLAM prioritizes maintaining strong
detention decisions and a higher likelihood of relationships between coaches and partici-
detention or jail involvement than their peers pants over a long period of time.
with no foster care involvement.14 Additionally,
foster youth oftentimes experience poor out-
comes in other areas, such as education and FOSTER YOUTH TRANSITIONING TO
employment.15 As such, CJII is improving out- ADULTHOOD PROGRAM HIGHLIGHT:
comes for young people aging out of foster care The Door
through the funding of educational support,
The Door’s Manhattan Academy Plus (MAP)
workforce development, housing, and other
program supports current and former foster
forms of support for foster families/youth.
youth to increase their economic self-sufficien-
To support current and former foster youth, ages cy and successfully transition into adulthood
16 to 24, in their transition to adulthood, CJII by approaching each youth’s needs holistically.
invested in two innovative programs: Graham MAP focuses on the young person’s overall
Windham’s Graham SLAM program and The well-being, as well as their housing security,
Door’s Manhattan Academy Plus (MAP) program. educational attainment, and employability.
This is an expansion of The Door's Bronx
Academy model, which offers career and
FOSTER YOUTH TRANSITIONING TO education services on-site. All youth in the
ADULTHOOD PROGRAM HIGHLIGHT: MAP program have access to career and
Graham Windham education services, robust housing services,
healthcare and mental health counseling, and
As a foster care agency, Graham Windham financial literacy and well-being workshops.
developed the Graham SLAM program to
17Goal 2: Supporting Through CJII, the Manhattan DA’s Office is
focusing on enhancing and developing new
Survivors of Crime approaches for engaging survivors of crime
that increase access to services and meet
Despite increased focus on survivors of crime their needs. Individuals, particularly those in
and corresponding advances in supportive underserved populations, may be less likely
services,16 reporting of crime as well as access to report crime and/or seek services following
to and usage of services remain low. Between victimization for a number of reasons, such
2006 and 2010, 42 percent of victims did not as stigma around seeking help, lack of aware-
report serious violent crime to law enforce- ness of available services, lack of access to
ment.17 This lack of reporting among survivors and/or availability of culturally-competent
of crime highlights and likely contributes to services, or fear of retaliation, harassment,
persistent challenges in responding to victim- or deportation.
ization and providing proper treatment.18 This
gap is particularly true of immigrants, LGBTQ To this end, CJII created three initiatives to
individuals, individuals who are D/deaf or hard increase services and tailored support for
of hearing, individuals with disabilities, and survivors of crime:
people of color.
18• I ncreasing Access to Services: CJII is sup-
porting programs that are focused specifically
on underserved communities, including
people of color, immigrants and non-native
534
English speakers, LGBTQ individuals, Survivors of crime served
individuals with disabilities and/or individuals since 2017.
who are D/deaf or hard of hearing, and deliver
services tailored to their specific needs.
busive Partner Intervention Program: CJII
• A
is funding a trauma-informed program that
works with abusive partners by changing the
justifications, attitudes, and beliefs perpetu-
Who is the Increase
ating abuse.
Access initiative
• Center for Trauma Innovation: CJII is plan-
focused on?
ning a Center for Trauma Innovation to ad- • Immigrants
dress gaps and challenges in the existing • People of color
system of services for people exposed to
• Individuals who are D/deaf or
primary and secondary trauma, with a focus
hard of hearing
on reaching people and communities in New
York City that are most impacted by violence • Individuals with disabilities
and people who do not traditionally seek out • LGBTQ individuals
victim services.
Inc re a sing Ac c e s s
in services for these underserved groups.
to Servic e s for These programs are tailored to meet individu-
Survivors of C rime alized needs and move away from the “one
When crime survivors access needed supports size fits all” approach.
and resources to address their trauma and other
Through August 2018, the 11 programs had
effects of victimization, they see better life
served 534 crime survivors. Approximately
outcomes and are more likely to cooperate with
82% of participants said they had previously
law enforcement.
been victims of crime (prior to their most
Some groups of people suffer higher rates of recent service engagement). Nearly one-quar-
victimization and access services at lower ter (23%) said they had never engaged in
rates, including immigrants, LGBTQ individuals, survivor services before, and 13% said they
individuals who are D/deaf/hard of hearing, had previously been refused care by a provid-
individuals with disabilities, and people of er, due to such factors as language, gender
color. Programs that effectively address these identity, or sexual orientation. CJII’s support for
barriers to service access can increase service survivors of crime spans from legal services to
up-take and reporting of crime, both of which therapy to trainings. A few program examples
may improve outcomes for survivors. Given are highlighted on the following page.
this, CJII invested in 11 programs that fill gaps
19INCREASING ACCESS FOR SURVIVORS nearly 900 workers through trainings con-
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHT: ducted at community meetings and on street
New York Committee for Occupation- corners where day laborers seek work. These
al Safety & Health (NYCOSH) trainings include information on wage theft
prevention, wage and hour rights, common
Several workers were victims of wage theft by health and safety hazards, instructions for
a construction employer in New York City. reporting wage theft and hazards of imminent
These workers had already gone to a legal death, and how-tos for filing health and
services provider a few months before. Since safety complaints.
their situation had not been resolved, one
worker reached out to NYCOSH to request Additionally, NYCOSH and its collaborative
assistance after hearing about the services partners have conducted workers’ rights
through one of the consulates. NYCOSH assessments for 119 clients. The assess-
conducted an intake and assessed the case ments allow NYCOSH to gather information
with this one worker, and then set up a meet- that it can potentially use to identify cases of
ing with the workers together. After that, they wage theft and/or workplace safety violations,
communicated with the legal services pro- and to help recover back wages, impose fines
vider to coordinate. Based on that discussion, on employers permitting work-site hazards,
as well as conversations with workers, NY- and/or support increased prosecutions of
COSH and the legal service provider referred exploitative companies. NYCOSH conducts
the case to the Manhattan District Attorney’s ongoing case management and follow-up
office for possible criminal prosecutions. Most with workers.
recently, NYCOSH received news that the DA's
Office has added this case to its list of crimi-
INCREASING ACCESS FOR
nal prosecution for wage theft. While there
SURVIVORS PROGRAM HIGHLIGHT:
still remains a long process before this case
Anti-Violence Project
is prosecuted and resolved, this case exem-
plifies why the Manhattan Justice for Workers With its CJII investment, the Anti-Violence
project was created. Without assessment and Project (AVP) has expanded its services,
support from NYCOSH, these workers would focusing primarily on providing legal services,
not have known about the accessibility of the to serve more LGBTQ survivors of violence,
Manhattan District Attorney’s office, and including those who are transgender, gender
might never have seen a resolution to non-conforming, people of color, and immi-
their case. grants. While there is increased demand in
the current immigration climate, many other
The example above illustrates why CJII invest- legal service organizations are struggling to
ed in the Manhattan Justice for Workers keep up with demand. AVP is one of the few
Collaborative, from the New York Committee LGBTQ organizations currently accepting
for Occupational Safety & Health (NYCOSH). immigration cases.
NYCOSH created a coalition of workers’ rights
To date, AVP has provided services to 39
and health and safety organizations to con-
clients through CJII, 100% of whom identify
duct outreach and trainings for low-wage
as LGBTQ. Approximately half of clients
workers (across all industries, but especially
identify as transgender and three-quarters as
construction) on reporting wage theft and
non-heterosexual.
health and safety violations. It has reached
20“Louise” is a transgender woman from Central America. She crossed the border and
told U.S. authorities that she was fleeing violence because of her gender identity—
she was too afraid to tell anyone that she identified as a transgender woman. Louise
was immediately placed in an immigration detention facility. She posted bond
and came to NYC. She found an attorney, who charged her thousands of dollars
to represent her in Immigration Court. When it came close to the court date, she
discovered that her attorney had not prepared her case. The Anti-Violence Project
was able to get Louise the legal and support services she needed. In only 2 months,
AVP prepared her case, prepared her to testify in court about the most intimate and
traumatizing events in her life, and secured two witnesses to testify on her behalf.
Louise was ultimately granted asylum in Immigration Court.
Abu si ve Par t ner
Prior Vic t imiz at ion In t erven t ion Progr am
and Servic e Despite a decrease in violent crime over the
Eng agement of past decade in New York City, reports of
Survivor domestic violence incidents have increased in
Ac c e s s Par t ic ipant s recent years. The majority of domestic vio-
lence perpetrators serve little time in jail
and/or prison and rates of re-offense are
82% high.19 New York City has historically offered
court-mandated programs that focus on
holding batterers accountable, but none of
these have addressed the underlying reasons
for abusive behavior. In response to this gap,
CJII invested in the Urban Resource Institute
to create a trauma-informed abusive partner
intervention program that incorporates restor-
23% ative justice principles and addresses the
13% justifications, attitudes, and beliefs that
perpetuate abusive behavior. This interven-
Ever been Had not Previously tion, which will be available starting in April
the victim of previously refused
a crime engaged care by a 2019, will aim to hold abusive partners
victim provider accountable and reduce recidivism.
services
21Goal 3: Enhance Diversion Further upstream, criminal justice stakeholders,
and Reentry Support including prosecutors, are developing innovative
approaches to divert people from the criminal
Each year, approximately 75,000 people return justice system altogether to lessen the criminal
to New York City following a period of incarcer- justice footprint, particularly for communities of
ation in jail or prison.20 The challenges associ- color that are overrepresented in the criminal jus-
ated with reentry from incarceration are well tice system.
known. Individuals who are incarcerated often
Through CJII, the Manhattan DA’s Office has
enter jail or prison with complex needs across
funded several initiatives to work with people at
many social service sectors, such as employ-
various points within the criminal justice system
ment, education, housing, family, and behav-
and after incarceration:
ioral health. The experience of incarceration—
conditions of confinement and removal from • Adult Project Reset: A diversion program
one’s family and community—can initiate new that works with people after arrest to divert
and exacerbate existing needs. And, far too them from court processing and channel
often, individuals reentering the community individuals towards effective and tailored
are challenged by the collateral consequences community-based responses.
of incarceration and encounter significant
• College-in-Prison Reentry: College-in-Prison
barriers towards achieving self-sufficiency and
Reentry programs are providing college
desisting from crime.
22education in 17 prisons across New York
State and developing mechanisms to seam-
lessly transfer credits to city and state
universities upon release.
877
• Reentry Supports, Services, and Innova- Individuals diverted
tion: These programs work to ensure that from prosecution
people leaving the criminal justice system
have access to the resources and supports
they need—such as employment training,
education assistance, assistance securing Adult Projec t Re se t
housing, mental health counseling, and
Individuals arrested on misdemeanor charges
primary health care—to be successful back
overwhelmingly contribute to the high volume of
in their communities.
criminal court cases in New York City, amounting
• Social Enterprises: Social enterprises to 75% of criminal court arraignments.21 Process-
provide meaningful training and career ing these cases through court demands signifi-
opportunities to young people and to people cant resources and slows down dockets. At the
reentering neighborhoods from prison. These same time, a growing body of research suggests
programs also generate a positive economic that for people with a low-risk of reoffending,
impact in underserved and under-resourced criminal court processing and exposure to
New York City communities. associated sanctions—such as detention, inten-
sive community supervision, or mandatory
Adult Projec t Re se t Adult Projec t Re se t
Par t ic ipant s by Age Par t ic ipan t s by
in t erven t ion t ype s
49%
40+ 18-20
22% 24%
34%
30-39 21-24
17% 20%
14%
25-29 3%
18%
Group Naloxone Restorative Individual
counseling treatment justice counseling
session training intervention session
23services (e.g., intensive mental health treat- College-in-Prison
ment)—can produce unintended consequences
and increase the likelihood of reoffending.
Reentry Program
Alternatives that divert individuals who do not There is strong evidence that correctional
pose a risk to public safety to community-based education—including postsecondary education
responses early in the process after arrest can programs, adult basic education, high school/
both reduce system inefficiency and promote a high school equivalency programs, and voca-
more effective and proportionate response to tional training programs—reduces recidivism
crime than court processing. and improves employment outcomes. A study
conducted by the Rand Corporation in 2013
Given this, the Manhattan DA’s office, through found that individuals who participate in prison
CJII, and in partnership with the New York Police education programs were 43% less likely to
Department invested in 3 organizations to recidivate and return to prison, and 13% were
implement diversion programs after arrest and more likely to obtain employment after their
before arraignment to divert people arrested for release.22 These findings, among many others,
low-level offenses who do not have a criminal highlight the utility and benefits of such pro-
record from court processing to tailored commu- gramming, not just fiscally but also with respect
nity-based responses. Since its inception in to reducing crime, increasing public safety, and
February 2018, 1,083 individuals enrolled in the strengthening communities.
program, and 877 have completed the program.
All 877 participants who completed the program However, most college education programs in
avoided ever stepping foot in a courtroom and New York are privately funded, and those that
had their records sealed. do exist carry long wait-lists and are not stan-
dardized. Furthermore, once former prisoners
The majority of the program participants were return to their communities, rarely are there
age 29 or younger (62%) and were nearly split systematic processes for transferring credits,
in terms of gender—55% were male and 45% supporting re-enrollment in college courses,
were female. and navigating the reentry process.
Prisons with Percentage of
College-in-Prison students by
Reentry Programs degree type
Gouverneur 18%
Cape Vincent Bachelor's
Watertown degree
programs
Albion Marcy
Five Points Auburn
Cayuga
Coxsackie 82%
Elmira
Woodbourne Eastern Associate's
Wallkill Green Haven degree programs
Fishkill Taconic
Sing Sing
24In light of this, in collaboration with New York
State Governor Andrew Cuomo, the Manhattan
DA’s Office created the College-in-Prison Reentry
program through CJII. This program aims to
408
increase the availability of educational program- Students in prison served
ming to incarcerated individuals, create stan-
dards for prison education curricula and credit
transfers, and develop reentry support plans for
participants. Seven colleges are offering college
courses in 17 prisons across New York State so What do
that people in prison can work toward getting College-in-Prison
their degrees and better positioning themselves Reentry programs do?
for success once they leave prison.
• Provide educational programming to
These college programs are offered at prisons people incarcerated in New York
for both men and women and at both medium State prisons
and maximum security prisons. Both the State • Offers paths towards the following
University of New York and the City University of degrees: AA or BA in liberal arts, AS
New York—through its Prisoner Reentry Insti- in liberal studies, BS in behavioral
tute—are supporting this initiative by working science, and AA in individual studies
with the colleges to ensure that once people
• Develop reentry support plans
leave prison, they can easily transfer their credits
and complete the degree programs that they • Ensure students can transfer credits
started while incarcerated. so they can complete their degrees
To date, the initiative has enrolled 408 students in
college courses. Of the 408 students, approxi-
mately 82% are enrolled in Associate’s degree and, ultimately, to improve outcomes for
programs, and 18% are enrolled in Bachelor’s individuals reentering the community from jail
degree programs. and/or prison and increase public safety in
New York City. Through the Challenge, CJII
These students are making meaningful progress aims to contribute new evidence to the field of
towards earning their degrees—Associate’s degree what works in reentry.
students to date have earned approximately 44%
of required credits, and Bachelor’s degree students As the Reentry Innovation Challenge winner, the
have earned approximately 60% of required credits. Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s
NYC Health Justice Network will link primary
care sites to community-based organizations in
Reent ry Supp or t s & Upper Manhattan to serve the primary care and
social service needs of reentering justice-in-
Servic e s and volved individuals. The Network will implement
Innovat ion C hallenge trauma-informed care in primary care clinics
The Manhattan DA’s Office launched a reentry and provide trainings on the criminal justice
innovation challenge to identify, support, and system and associated health risks. Addition-
test new and innovative programs to fill key ally, people with a history of involvement in the
gaps in the New York City reentry landscape justice system will be recruited and employed
25as patient advocates and navigators to primary
care and other necessary services, including
housing, transportation, and employment What are
services. social enterprises?
Social enterprises blend the social
In addition to the challenge winner, CJII has also
welfare mission of a nonprofit organiza-
invested in several programs to build on the work
tion with the market-driven approach of a
of the College-in-Prison Reentry program and
business. Social enterprises offer posi-
expand services to fill gaps to better support
tive economic impact within communities
people reentering their communities:
that offer fewer job opportunities, helping
• T he Prisoner Reentry Institute’s College to curb the cycle of poverty and unem-
Initiative (CI) Program will assist people ployment that often correlates with
returning to New York City after incarceration involvement in the justice system.
in enrolling and succeeding in college in the
community. CI will provide intensive academic
counseling and mentoring services in the com- addition to the subsequent positive economic
munity to students and, to support this, impact within communities, helps to curb the
expand alumni activities and develop work- cycle of poverty and unemployment.
shops and resources to aid CI students who
By supporting social enterprises, CJII seeks to
are parents in creating educational pathways
spark innovation and build capacity within the
for their children, pre-K to college.
growing social enterprise field, which can inform
• C
ollege and Community Fellowship’s future policy and funding decisions regarding
Build-Out of Student Services (BOSS) will effective workforce programs for individuals in
help formerly incarcerated women earn under-resourced communities in New York City
their college degrees and find career path- and nationwide.
ways. BOSS will enhance its existing aca-
demic support program and peer mentoring CJII has invested in three social enterprises:
program, as well as launch a career ad-
• Drive Change’s Hospitality for Social Justice
vancement program.
(HSJ) program works with young adults to
retain stable employment in the food and
hospitality sectors, particularly in positions
So c ial Ent erpri se s that offer wages enabling self-sufficiency and
We know that secure employment and career opportunities for advancement. As a part of
pathways are key to building strong communities, the HSJ program, participants receive training
particularly for young adults or individuals who on a number of topics, including cooking and
have been incarcerated in the past. Social hospitality fundamentals, social-emotional
enterprises are well-positioned to spark positive skills, industry credentials, team building and
change for individuals and communities through leadership development, life skills, mindful-
meaningful training and career opportunities, ness, and education about issues of social
supportive services, and job opportunities for justice in the criminal justice system and the
individuals reentering communities following food/hospitality industry. In addition, Drive
incarceration, who typically face significant Change works with food business owners and
barriers to employment, including deterioration managers who commit to employing these
of job-related skills and employer stigma. This, in young adults during the HSJ program. Drive
26Change generates revenue by providing tiered system operation, barista skills, kitchen
trainings and certifications in racial bias and safety, and food safety; and entrepreneurship
justice-driven management practices for training such as business planning and
managers and businesses. These trainings lay resume building.
the groundwork for better job retention of the • T he HOPE Program’s Intervine program
HSJ participants and all staff more generally, contracts to provide horticultural services
which is beneficial to employers who struggle and green infrastructure installation and
with staff turnover. maintenance, and solar PV installation. As
• S
weet Generation Bakery’s Sweet Genera- part of this business model, the program
tion RISE is training young people in artisanal provides training and transitional paid job
baking and handcrafted pastries, while also opportunities to formerly incarcerated
teaching job-readiness, entrepreneurship people focused on these areas, which,
skills, and fostering social-emotional develop- together, represent a significant segment of
ment. Sweet Generation includes a revenue- the green construction market, a growing
generating retail bakery and wholesale opera- field that develops skills that are both in
tion, and RISE is providing young people with demand and readily transferable across the
training and employment in the bakery. These building trades. Intervine’s program blends
young people receive training related to soft skill development with on-the-job
building motivation skills, setting priorities, training, equipping participants with the
time management, and goal setting; culinary tools needed to build foundations for long
training and retail skills including point-of-sale and fulfilling careers.
27ENSURING LONG-TERM IMPACT
CJII’s investments provide support for three to programmatic services. But physical space is a
five years of programming. In order for these critical component of successfully serving the
efforts to generate impact beyond the CJII needs of people and neighborhoods. The acces-
funding period, the Manhattan DA’s office and sibility, functionality, and appeal of space can
ISLG have developed a multipronged strategy increase client traffic and help engage young
for sustainability. people. Given this, CJII awarded several million
dollars in capital grants across the portfolios,
Much of CJII’s work complements the missions
namely in support of the Youth Opportunity Hubs
of many New York City government agencies
and Social Enterprise grantees.
and philanthropic institutions. Strong partner-
ship and collaboration with these organizations
could help fortify CJII programs and ensure
long-term sustainability.
Evaluation
CJII is not only investing in innovative programs,
In addition, CJII is: it is also investing in measuring the results. The
Manhattan DA’s Office and ISLG are committed
• P
roviding capital investment where necessary to
to data-driven decision-making, as well as
increase the appeal and functionality of physical
informing the research and practice fields in New
spaces where services take place, improve-
York and across the country.
ments that will far outlast the programmatic
investments that have been made under CJII. CJII regularly collects data (i.e., performance
• Investing in robust evaluations of many CJII metrics) on each initiative to ensure the
initiatives. The findings from these evaluations
will benefit not only New York City, but also
jurisdictions nationwide seeking to make Which CJII intiatives
transformational change. are currently being
• W
orking with the funded organizations to evaluated?
improve their data collection and analysis
capacity, which will allow them to better • 4
Family & Youth
demonstrate the organization’s value when Development Programs
seeking financial support. • 5 Youth Opportunity Hubs
• B
uilding out a robust training and technical • 2 Programs for Foster Youth
assistance consortium to strengthen CJII Transitioning to Adulthood
grantee organizations, thereby improving the • 4 Programs to Increase Access to
landscape of social services in New York City. Services for Survivors of Crime
• 7 College-in-Prison Reentry Programs
Capital Investment • Community Navigator Program
Improvements in physical spaces can make a • Abusive Partner Intervention Program
dramatic difference in how people are able to
More evaluations of initiatives are set to
access and perceive programming. Capital
roll out soon.
investments are uncommon in the social service
sector, where funding is generally focused on
28program is meeting its goals. It has also voiced a desire for growth, enhancement, and
awarded funds to several independent re- improvement. To ensure the maximum effective-
search organizations to more fully evaluate ness of our investments for the long-term, CJII is
some of our initiatives. These assessments investing in various training and technical assis-
are multi-year process and outcome evalua- tance opportunities across a range of strategic,
tions which are used to understand how the operational, and programmatic focus areas.
programs are implemented and whether they
To inform these investments, the Manhattan
are effective in reducing risk factors for
DA’s Office worked with ISLG to develop a strate-
criminal justice involvement (e.g., school
gic approach. First, ISLG developed and solicited
drop-out and delinquent behavior) and in-
self-assessments from the organizations CJII has
creasing public safety.
funded. These assessments gathered informa-
With this, both the Manhattan DA’s Office and tion about each of the areas below and asked
the CJII programs themselves will be able to organizational leadership to identify those
demonstrate the success of their work to policy- priority areas for improvement, as well as areas
makers, other practitioners, future funders, and of particular expertise.
the wider public.
With this information, ISLG developed and
released two complementary solicitations to
Training and Technical identify and engage a pool of experts to support
Assistance grantee organizations. This pool of experts draws
from within the CJII-funded community and
CJII-funded organizations are leading experts brings in outside consultants with special exper-
and innovators in their fields, but they have tise across these areas.
Training and Technical Assistance Approach
Goals
Collaboration
Data-driven
Sustainability
Impact
Operational PROGRAMMATIC Strategic
Financial management design Governance
Monitoring performance Fidelity Leadership
Human resources Outreach Partnerships
Adminstration Intake & assessment Strategy
Engagement Fundraising
Communications
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