‘Jails to Jobs’ Will Help Connect Formerly Incarcerated Individuals With Education and Opportunity
Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the ‘Jails to Jobs’ initiative as part of her 2022 State of the State. ‘Jails to Jobs’ aims to improve re-entry into the workforce and reduce recidivism by focusing on connecting previously incarcerated individuals with education, resources and opportunities for job placement.
“There is no justice in a system that continues to unduly punish formerly incarcerated individuals who have served their time and paid their debts to society,” Governor Hochul said. “We know how the proper training, opportunity, or college degree can lift up any New Yorker no matter where you come from, which is why we must harness the power of education to help formerly incarcerated individuals with re-entry, while also ensuring the justice system itself doesn’t stand in the way of someone trying to improve their life.”
Despite New York’s advancements in creating a fairer criminal justice system, many people in state prisons struggle to access educational opportunities. The expansion of higher-education opportunities for incarcerated populations provides clear benefits by reducing recidivism, increasing post-release employment, and saving taxpayer money. Incarcerated people who participate in correctional education programs are 43 percent less likely to reoffend and 13 percent more likely to obtain and retain employment after returning to their community. Taxpayers save roughly $5 for every $1 invested in prison education, and recidivism rates decrease due to this investment.
Governor Hochul’s ‘Jails to Jobs’ plan will help incarcerated and formerly incarcerated New Yorkers attain critical job skills and secure long-term employment, helping reduce recidivism and increase public safety. 
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