As I contemplate the raging argument taking place over the commonly called “gate money bill” I am reminded of the wisdom of our elders who would often impart to youngsters the advice that commonsense was “made” before book sense. In short, the recently passed New York State Formerly Incarcerated Program is a commonsense bill even when viewed from multiple angles. In particular, three main areas of focus are: from the point of view of human dignity, the issue of recidivism, and finally the economics of incarceration.
Let me say from the onset that I was an unwavering supporter of the bill which passed both houses of the legislature last week. Along with Assemblymember Edwards Gibbs, I had no hesitation in signing on as a co-sponsor of this legislation especially when presented with the facts and figures which far outweighed the rhetoric. Especially that coming from learned men and women about the bill “paying for crime.” Not necessarily in any order of priority let’s look at the three commonsense areas of this bill. First human dignity. In 2024 America to give someone $40 — as was the case before the passage of this bill –to re-enter society after being incarcerated cannot even be called a starvation stipend. It is simply inhumane. Especially in the face of inflation and the price of food and shelter, the two most basic of human needs. The average cost of a gallon of milk is $4.01 and we have all experienced sticker shock at the grocery with a dozen eggs sometimes retailing at $5.00. Despite the cries about the cost of living in New York City, we are a State that has always regarded human dignity by taking care of people. We provide access to healthcare, free college, domestic violence protection programs, and many other entitlement programs which are prime examples of providing people with things they need to live successful lives. To deny the same to the formerly incarcerated returning to society is simply not the New York Way of life.
Like everything else when it comes to the issue of recidivism, the numbers do not lie. Nearly 11,000 people will reenter society from New York’s prisons this year. Experts say the first 72 hours after release are critical to determining whether a former incarcerated individual’s path will lead away from prison or make a sharp U-turn. Nearly 50% of returning New Yorkers will face housing instability. More than 33% will struggle to find even part-time employment. Around 50% of New Yorkers are reincarcerated within three years of release.
Currently, state law only requires people being released to receive $40 taken from their commissary account, a bus ticket and seasonally appropriate clothing which must be cheaper than $65 if provided by the facility. With this $40, people are expected to find approved housing, feed themselves, meet with their Parole Officer within 24 hours (if applicable), and secure employment.
The “gate money program” will help address these issues with reentry by providing people released from state correctional facilities with up to $2,600 over six months, with the first month’s stipend being due immediately upon release to help cover fundamental needs such as food, housing costs, court-related debts, and preparation for employment thus taking aim at stemming the prison-to-shelter-prison tide.
On the question of commonsense economics the numbers also tell the story: It costs New York an estimated average of $315 a day or nearly $115,000 annually to incarcerate one person, according to a 2022 analysis by the Vera Institute. And according to a report by the Coalition for the Homeless, more than 40% of people released from state prisons to New York City have gone directly into shelters each year since 2015. Moreover, this legislation comes at a time as the city shelter system, which costs $135 per person per day, has been overwhelmed in part by the arrival of more than 157,600 asylum seekers since last spring.
New York and California each spend more than double the national average cost per inmate and Federal and state governments spend $80 billion annually to operate prisons and jails according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Finally, the New York State Formerly Incarcerated Bill, though a new measure is not devoid of precedence that supports the probability of its success. In April 2020, the Center for Employment Opportunities —a nonprofit organization that provides services to returning citizens– launched the Returning Citizens Stimulus Program (RCS). RCS was a cash transfer program that offered financial support to what they called “returning citizens” during the critical period just after their release. Participants were eligible for three monthly payments totaling up to $2,750 if they reached milestones such as preparing résumés. Some of the findings detailed in a report called: “Paving the Way Home” included: A large majority of RCS participants reached the required milestones and received three payments. In addition, participants reported that the RCS program helped them feel some level of financial stability in the period following incarceration. Most said they spent the RCS funds on essential expenses such as rent, groceries, clothing, and personal care to prepare themselves for employment. The program was implemented in 28 locations nationwide, but 95 percent of participants were in seven cities among them, New York, Denver, Detroit, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Oakland, and Tulsa.
It is clear that if we are going to live up to the ideal of caring for “the poor and huddled masses,” that the gate money bill not only puts commonsense before book sense, but it trumps nonsense and saves dollars and cents.
