Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo has formed the New York State Council on Community Re-Entry and Reintegration, which will address obstacles formerly incarcerated people face upon re-entering society.

Fulfilling Cuomo’s pledge from the 2014 State of the State address, the council will promote collaboration among state, local, and private agencies as well as community groups in order to address a wide range of issues pertaining to successful re-entry, including housing, employment, healthcare, education, behavior change and Veterans’ services.

“We have made great progress toward creating a safer state over the past few years – our prisons have fewer people in them and crime is down – but we must do more to stop the revolving door of recidivism once and for all,” Cuomo said. “Reducing the state’s recidivism rate will mean safer communities, stronger families and fewer taxpayer dollars spent on prisons. This Re-Entry Council will strengthen the support that we provide to formerly incarcerated individuals as they transition back into mainstream society, and help ensure that those transitions are lasting and effective. I thank the councilmembers for signing on to this important public service, and I look forward to their recommendations to create an even safer and fairer New York.”

Each year, 25,000 individuals leave New York state prisons and face challenges when reintegrating into society that include legal identification, employment and education barriers, lack of health care access, substance abuse and mental health service needs, anti-social behavior, and homelessness. In the face of the difficult task of overcoming these stated challenges, 40 percent of the formerly incarcerated in New York State recidivate within three years of their release.

In February 2012, Cuomo launched an employment training and placement program called “Work for Success” which has prepared and assisted more than 2,000 formerly incarcerated people in their pursuit of obtaining jobs. Two years later, Cuomo launched the nation’s first state-led “Pay for Success project”, an initiative funded by private investors to train and employ formerly incarcerated individuals. Building on the success of those programs and using evidence-based strategies, data-driven analysis, and a large network of advisors and partners, the Re-Entry Council aims to alleviate additional collateral consequences individuals face upon release from prison.

The goals for the Re-Entry Council in 2014 are as follows:

Identify barriers to successful re-entry in New York State through an examination of state laws, regulations, and administrative policies pertaining to the formerly incarcerated.

Solicit feedback from a host of stakeholders relating to potential policies, laws and practices aimed at improving outcomes for the formerly incarcerated.

Assess existing programs for effectiveness and identify evidence-based best practices in support of positive outcomes.

Develop coordination strategies between state, local, private and community-based groups in support of successful re-entry.

The council will submit recommendations to the Governor’s Office for review and potential implementation. Marta Nelson, executive director for the New York City Office of the Center for Employment Opportunities, will serve as the executive director of the council. Alexander Rose will serve as special assistant to the council.