“Alternative to Incarceration (ATI) and reentry programs save money, reduce crime, strengthen families, and bring hope and real opportunity to some of the City’s most troubled communities.” (The New York City ATI/Reentry Coalition* Services Report 2010.)
Fortune has provided Alternative to Incarceration (ATI) services for nearly 40 years, helping thousands of clients develop the tools to build better futures along the way.
Fortune pursues the hardest cases; our ATI programs are for defendants charged with felony-level offenses who would otherwise be facing at least one year of jail or prison time. These individuals initially come to our offices five days a week and stay for an average of six to twelve months, depending on their progress and the seriousness of the offense. Our ATI clients are still under strict supervision, but they are also receiving the intensive life-stabilizing services they desperately need. Services include individual and group counseling, which serve as safe spaces in which participants can learn and practice the values and skills needed to maintain crime-free lives. Our group model is outcome-based and uses evidence-based curriculum. Clients move through cycles and earn credits to successfully complete their programs. Those who complete their program successfully always receive sentences that require no further incarceration.
FORTUNE’S ALTERNATIVE TO INCARCERATION (ATI) SERVICES & PROGRAMS INCLUDE:
Court Advocacy Services: Court advocates re the first point of contact for our ATI program clients. The advocates work with defense attorneys, prosecutors, and judges to obtain non-incarcerative sentences for carefully screened candidates. Court Advocacy Services has offices located in the courthouses of Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Manhattan.
Contact:
Claudia Avin, Senior Director of Court Advocacy, 347-510-3631
Manhattan Office, 212-608-7660
Brooklyn Office, 718-875-1700
Bronx Office, 718-537-1228
Queens Office, 718-793-7567
ATI PROGRAMS:
DAMAS: This female-specific program addresses the unique physical, emotional, psychological, and psycho-social needs of women who are involved in the criminal justice system within the context of a supportive, community-based model.
Demo: One of our standard ATI programs, designed to assist individuals break the cycle of criminal activity by addressing the physical, emotional, psychological, and psycho-social needs specific to those involved in the criminal justice system. Specifically, Demo is designed to accommodate the schedules of individuals who work during the day.
Flametree: Please see Substance Abuse Treatment: Our Response , to learn more about this program.
Freedom: An Alternative to Incarceration (ATI) day treatment program designed to enable successful participants to live a constructive, independent, and self-sufficient life by developing educational & vocational skills consistent with legitimate, gainful employment.
Nueva Vida: An innovative Alternative to Incarceration program for native Spanish-speakers with little or no English language skills, Nueva Vida helps clients break the cycle of criminal activity through culturally-appropriate programming.
Success: This program connects individuals with felony level offenses and substance dependency issues to residential drug treatment as an alternative to incarceration. Our court advocates monitor clients’ progress in treatment and provides progress reports to the court.
*Fortune is a member of the Alternatives to Incarceration (ATI) Coalition, composed of community service providers offering ATI and/or reentry services. These organizations – CASES, Osborne Association, Women’s Prison Association, Center for Community Alternatives, Center for Employment Opportunities, and the Legal Action Center – coordinate their services and target populations to serve the maximum number of criminal justice clients effectively without duplicating services. To read the most recent NY ATI/Reentry Coalition Services Report (2011), please click here.