Manhattan Program Encourages Parolees To Stay Out Of Prison
July 04, 2008
The latest New Yorkers of the Week are part of an East Harlem support program that empowers parolees to stay out of prison and stay on track. NY1's Rebecca Spitz filed the following report.
Critics of the parole system say one reason parolees end up going back to prison is because they don't get enough support when they get out of jail. But a six-month program in East Harlem called the Harlem Reentry Court is specifically designed to help parolees smooth their way back into society after doing time in prison.
"This is a little more of a holistic approach to parole,” said Yvonne Oliver of Harlem Reentry. “Instead of just focusing on supervising the individual, we try to assist them in different areas such as housing, employment."
The State Division of Parole funds the program, which provides medical care, job placement and housing for parolees and help for their families.
After more than thirty years in and out of prison, former parolee Cramon Milline was Harlem Reentry's second client. He is one of hundreds who have gone through the program.
"They don't allow you to stumble,” said Milline. “If you have any problem, they catch you before you do. If you have any thought in your mind of negativity, they tell you to call them and they come to your aid."
The six staff members at Harlem Reentry leave their cell phones on all the time.
"Sometimes guys are ready to run or young ladies are ready to run and they're at their lowest point, and they need somebody just to talk to. And that's why I keep it on," said Nigel Jackson of Harlem Reentry.
Doreen Soto is the first woman in the program and says after almost eighteen years through numerous parole programs, Harlem Reentry is different.
"I am a long-time addict and this is the first time I have really been serious about doing the right thing,” said Soto, “because it's the right thing to do and with them being in my life, there's no reason why I should do anything wrong."
John Megaw, who helped launch the program, says the parolees recruited from the Queensborough Correctional Facility are initially skeptical about joining the program because of how involved the parole officers are in their lives. Surprise home and job site visits and a weekly review in front of a judge are all part of keeping the parolees on track.
"Typically when they see a judge in their past, they're getting ready to go back into jail or prison,” said Megaw. “The difference here is that the judge acts as somebody who every other week gets an update on how they are doing, and so pats them on the back when things are going well."
So, for having the backs of the parolees reentering the community, the staff of the Harlem Reentry Court are our New Yorkers of the Week.
- Rebecca Spitz
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July 04, 2008
Manhattan Program Encourages Parolees To Stay Out Of Prison
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