NYC Justice Corps
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The NYC Justice Corps aims to reduce poverty and recidivism among young adults, ages 18-24, who have been involved in the justice system by setting them on a path toward higher levels of education, dignified work, and meaningful participation in civic life. NYC Justice Corps is aligned with the Mayor’s Career Pathways report as a pre-bridge/work readiness program that combines recidivism risk reduction and workforce development.
- Recidivism reduction strategies:
- A standardized assessment tool is used to identify risks, service needs, and strengths for every participant.
- Collaborative goal-setting and individual case management aim to reduce risks and leverage strengths of each participant.
- Evidence-based risk reduction strategies and support for behavioral change, including cognitive behavioral interventions and Motivational Interviewing, are included.
- Pre-bridge/intensive work readiness services:
- Sector-focused programming through engagement in service projects and job readiness training.
- Opportunities to earn work readiness credentials such as OSHA 10.
- Emphasis on soft skills development (e.g., communication, time-management, teamwork, conflict management).
- Strong “bridges” between Justice Corps and post-program placement destinations. Corps members are placed in educational programs (pre-HSE, HSE, or post-secondary), vocational training, part-time or full-time unsubsidized employment, and other bridge programs. Corps members will receive placement retention and/or re-placement services to ensure a successful bridge to their next environment.
- Since 2008, Corps members have contributed more than 250,000 hours of service to some of the most disadvantaged NYC communities contributing labor worth more than $2 million.
- Corps members will continue to design service projects and present their plans to a Community Advisory Board, building positive relationships with community members and improving their neighborhoods.
The NYC Justice Corps was one of the original strategies selected in 2008 by the NYC Center for Economic Opportunity (CEO) to improve prospects for disconnected youth who were part of the criminal justice system. With support from the Young Men’s Initiative, the NYC Justice Corps expanded to four boroughs in 2012. The John Jay College Prisoner Reentry Institute (PRI) administers the program and subcontracts with community-based providers for program operation. In FY 17, it is projected that Justice Corps will enroll serve 160 new enrollees and up to 80 alumni, placing Corps members in employment, training, and education and providing placement retention services.
PRI selects qualified provider agencies to run the program, oversees its operations, and provides technical assistance to promote best practices. In an effort to bring similar youth-oriented reentry programs to scale in other communities, PRI also provides to interested practitioners a comprehensive free online Community Benefit Project Toolbox containing the NYC Justice Corps program resources and staff training materials.
TO LEARN MORE visit the New York City Justice Corps website or contact Elena Sigman, PRI’s Director of Collaborative Learning.
The NYC Justice Corps Serves The Bronx, Brooklyn, Harlem & Queens at the following locations.
| BRONX JUSTICE CORPS
Vanessa Vanterpool, Program Director Serving the South Bronx |
BROOKLYN JUSTICE CORPS Asere Bello, Program Director Center for Alternative Sentencing & Employment Services, Inc. 151 Gates Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11216 Tel: 212.553.6652 Email: abello@cases.orgServing Bedford–Stuyvesant, Brownsville, Crown Heights, Bushwick, and East New York |
| HARLEM JUSTICE CORPS
Alison Trenk, Program Manager Serving Central and East Harlem |
QUEENS JUSTICE CORPS
Willard Beale, Program Director Serving Jamaica |