STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — The Office of Neighborhood Safety, in partnership with with New York City Housing Authority, hosted a Family Reentry Forum at Curtis High School in St. George on Oct. 18.
The forum connected those affected by incarceration with resources that would assist in their transition to reentering public society.
The event is a result of the Mayor’s Action Plan for Neighborhood safety. Mayor’s Action Plan collaborates with NYCHA residents, local leaders and New York City agencies to develop solutions aimed at improving the well-being of the community.
The Office of Neighborhood Safety, in partnership with NYCHA, hosted a Family Re-Entry Forum at Curtis High School in St. George on Saturday, Oct. 18.(Courtesy of Ranti Ogunleye)
Residents have been calling for “a more streamlined process that makes it easier for formerly incarcerated NYCHA residents to return home — especially to rejoin family leases — and access supports without being re-traumatized by bureaucracy,” according to Ranti Ogunleye, one of the directors of Mayor’s Action Plan within the Office of Neighborhood Safety.
For the first half of the event, attendees listened to representatives from NYCHA and the Staten Island Justice Center’s Transformative Reentry Initiative, who shared information on services for those previously involved with the justice system.
Between presentations, justice-themed poetry provided moments of reflection and hope.
After hearing of some potential services, four individuals impacted by the justice system shared personal stories and tips on reform in a panel discussion. The talk ranged in topics, among the notable themes was the desire to establish a path for young individuals reentering society, expand access to jobs for those reentering, ensure reentry agencies act with empathy, as well as the wish to provide access to information to individuals in upstate and federal facilities ahead of release.
At one moment, a man who returned home after 37 years of incarceration noted the amount of resources available and said that it was like his birthday. By the end of the forum, the man walked away with connections, a bicycle after his previous bike was stolen, and nearly $500 raised by attendees and partners.
The Office of Neighborhood Safety, in partnership with NYCHA, hosted a Family Re-Entry Forum at Curtis High School in St. George on Saturday, Oct. 18.(Courtesy of Ranti Ogunleye)
Joining guests at the event were also community leaders, such as those from True2Life and Malcolm Penn of New York Center for Interpersonal Development.
“We need a clear process for residents coming home from incarceration—something that helps them get back on the lease, reconnect with family, and access the supports they need to rebuild,” a resident from the Mayor’s Action Plan initiative shared.
Councilmember Kamillah Hanks concluded the first half of the forum, calling for a boroughwide roundtable on access to jobs and awareness of funding streams that support Black and brown low-income communities.
“Staten Island needs a stronger voice in shaping real solutions,” she added.
The latter half of the event was a resource fair that featured over 20 city agencies and nonprofits offering services. Among those in attendance was the Legal Aid Society, which sealed records and provided legal advice, IDNYC which issued IDs, as well as The Shoppe, which offered free haircuts.
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