Supervised Release prevents trauma for countless New Yorkers waiting for their day in court. That makes all of us safer.
Thousands of New Yorkers are staying out of jail, showing up for court, and getting support to turn their lives around thanks to a little-known reform: Supervised Release. What started off as a small pilot program in Queens has since taken root across all five boroughs of New York City as a new, better path for people who have been accused of a crime waiting for their day in court.
That better path is a sorely needed alternative to a system that has historically criminalized poverty, especially for Black and Brown people. At least 8 in 10 people in New York City’s jails—the vast majority of whom are people of color—haven’t been convicted of a crime. Many are put behind bars, separated from their families, and risk losing their jobs, homes, and even custody of their children simply because they can’t afford to pay bail. Those harms are amplified by pervasive violence and unsafe conditions in the jails on Rikers Island, including an increased risk of sexual abuse for the hundreds of women incarcerated there.
The data shows that Supervised Release works just as well as cash bail at ensuring people make their court dates, in the care of their own communities. But what’s harder to measure is the trauma the program prevents: trauma from the immense, senseless harm that jail—especially Rikers Island—inflicts on people every day.
Trauma doesn’t just result from crime; it’s also likely part of what drives it, potentially affecting a person’s ability to make responsible decisions. That tracks with what we know about the impacts of being sent to jail for even a short amount of time while awaiting court, which increases the likelihood that someone will be arrested again. But, as the success of Supervised Release shows, that cycle can be interrupted—through compassion, support, and careful attention to what people actually need.
Everyone, regardless of their past, deserves to build a strong future.
The program is led by social workers, case managers, and resource coordinators, some of whom have lived experience with the legal system themselves. As they meet regularly with participants to support them in attending their court appearances, they get to know each person one-on-one with the goal of mapping out their needs and connecting them to services—help with housing, job support, mental health and substance use treatment, and more.
“Having Supervised Release is super important for people who are marginalized or who don’t have access to the resources that many of us have access to,” says Janelle Davis, Senior Case Manager for our Supervised Release team in Brooklyn. “Everyone, regardless of their past, deserves to build a strong future.”
Our teams in Brooklyn and Staten Island go above and beyond to make sure people feel supported as they navigate what is often a scary and disruptive process. At their routine check-ins, participants can pick up MetroCards, get help applying to public benefits, and receive clothing, jackets, and formal attire for job interviews. On-site barbershop events even offer free haircuts. Most of all, people get to walk away stronger and better off than when they came in—instead of facing more hurt and trauma, which only make it harder for people to repair their lives.
When Supervised Release began in 2009, it gave people accused of low-level offenses a chance to resolve their case in the community. Since statewide reforms limited when judges can set bail, the program has seen a dramatic growth in caseloads and now serves people with all kinds of charges, including more serious ones. That growth has also come with challenges, though, putting added strain on program providers and the networks of community-based services they rely on to get people help for things they’re struggling with. A $37 million boost in funding for Supervised Release citywide last year was a much-welcome recognition of the need for more investment into meaningful care for people waiting for their day in court.
Our Supervised Release program has helped people find relief and support—and potentially avoid jail—in more than 45,000 cases so far. And that doesn’t include the thousands more people served by other agencies offering Supervised Release across the city, like CASES, the Fortune Society, and the New York City Criminal Justice Agency. By redesigning the legal process to help, instead of harm, Supervised Release prevents trauma for countless New Yorkers. And that, in turn, makes all of us safer.