Key Messages
Reduces insecurity and Stabilizes
The relationship between poverty and recidivism is straightforward.
People living in poverty are more likely to recidivate, because poverty decreases opportunities in the formal economy.
By directly confronting the poverty that underlies many cases of recidivism, we can promote public safety and economic growth.
Arrives at the most critical time
The first 72 hours after release from prison are critical.
By the time an individual has check-in with a supervising authority, they are likely already experiencing food insecurity.
This is exacerbated by hurdles such as being released without the proper identification, or by outstanding justice-related debt.
Responsive and flexible
People returning from prison navigate similar challenges, but entirely unique physical, psychological and economic situations.
Cash payments are the most flexible approach we can implement to adequately address diverse needs.
Evidence based solution
A robust collection of evaluations and policy analyses highlight the impact of direct cash transfers on improving reentry outcomes. Recipients have strategically utilized payments to get to work, to pay victim restitution and to more quickly reach self-sufficiency.
Early evidence also suggests that financial assistance upon release from incarceration improves recidivism outcomes and can reduce rates of re-arrest by up to 30%.
Promote self-sufficiency
Fostering independent decision-making is crucial for successful reintegration. Reentry cash not only empowers individuals by showcasing trust and respect, but does so without burdening them with excessive reporting or restrictions, promoting dignity in the process.
Results with lasting impact
Evaluations of direct-cash programs, such as the Returning Citizens Stimulus program, showed that positive results such as increases in earnings and employment retention were sustained by cash payment recipients, even after the payments stopped.
Gate Money in the News!
“A New Way to Help New Yorkers Adjust to Life After Prison,” article in The City
“AM Gibbs, Sen Parker propose $2,600 in reentry cash for formerly incarcerated” article in Amsterdam News
“Investing in Succesful Reintegration After Incarcerration,” Interview with CEO of Center for Employment Opportunities on the Capitol Newsroom
Read the Press release: “Senator Kevin Parker and Assemblyman Edward Gibbs Join with Broad Coalition to Announce Introduction of Reentry Fund that Would Provide Nearly $2,600 to New Yorkers Returning from Incarceration,”
Resources & Further Reading:
Returning Citizen Stimulus (RCS) Implementation Guide (2022);
Paving the Way Home, an Evaluation of the Returning Citizens Stimulus Program (2022);
Baird, Sarah “The Effects of cash transfers on adult labor market outcomes;
Couloute, Lucius “The Case for Temporary Guaranteed Income for Formerly Incarcerated People”;
Ducker, Ernest “A Plague of Prisons: The Epidemiology of Mass Incarceration in America”;
Munyo, Ignacio “First-Day Criminal Recidivism, Journal of Public Economics”;