Reentry Radio: A Place to Call Home

On October 27, 2016, the John Jay College Prisoner Reentry Institute (PRI) held a special event in partnership with The Fortune Society, The Supportive Housing Network of New York, and the Corporation for Supportive Housing. This day-long event, Excluded: A Dialogue on Safe, Supportive, and Affordable Housing for People with Justice System Involvement, gathered together a group of speakers and panelists from a variety of fields.

This three-part series, featuring speakers from the event, explores the issues surrounding housing access and support for people with criminal justice system involvement. 

Episode 1

Ann Jacobs, Director of PRI, moderated the first panel featured in this episode, “A Place Called Home: Why it Matters,” featuring:
Jerilyn Perine, Executive Director of the Citizens Housing Planning Council
Ana Oliveira, President of the New York Women’s Foundation
Anthony Thompson, Professor of Criminal Law at NYU Law School

The panelists discussed the fundamental values and vision that drive policy related to providing housing and services to justice-involved people.

Episode 2

This episode features the panel “Drilling Down: the Barriers to Housing Faced by People with Justice System Involvement,” moderated by Richard Cho, Director of Behavioral Health at the Council of State Governments Justice Center, featuring:
Sideya Sherman, Executive Vice President for Community Engagement and Partnerships at the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA)
Liz Gaynes, President and CEO of the Osborne Association
Linda Glassman, Deputy Commissioner at the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA)
Michael Bosket, Deputy Commissioner for Customized Assistance Services at HRA
Matthew Main, Staff Attorney at Mobilization for Justice

The panelists discussed barriers to housing at an individual level, barriers at a programmatic and provider level, and barriers at a policy level.

This episode also features a series of short presentations and discussions surrounding housing models that are proven to work for people with criminal justice histories, led by Erin Burns-Maine, Senior Program Manager at the Corporation for Supportive Housing. Featuring:
Rita Zimmer, Founder and Executive Director of Housing+Solutions
Max Lindemen, Senior Director of Housing at The Fortune Society
Yolanda Johnson Peterkin, Chief of Housing Community Activities at the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA)

Episode 3

This episode features the panel “Creating a New Paradigm,” which tasked speakers with considering new approaches to housing. Laura Mascuch, Executive Director of the Supportive Housing Network of New York, moderated the panel, which featured:
Marta Nelson, Executive Director of the New York State Council on Community Reentry and Reintegration
Trish Marsik, Executive Director of the Mayor’s Task Force on Behavioral Health and the Criminal Justice System
Kristin Miller, Director of the Corporation for Supportive Housing
JoAnne Page, President and CEO of the Fortune Society
Jocelyn Fontaine, Senior Research Associate at the Urban Institute’s Justice Policy Center

The series concludes with “Translating Values Into Action,” a conversation around what can be done to further create and support a system where people with criminal justice system histories can live in safe, affordable, and supportive housing. This panel was moderated by Ronald Day, Associate Vice President of Policy at The Fortune Society, and featured:

Paulette Soltani, Housing & Homelessness Organizer at VOCAL-NY
John Relman, Managing Attorney at Relman, Dane & Colfax
Margaret diZerega, Project Director within the Center on Sentencing and Corrections at the Vera Institute of Justice
Jessica Yager, Executive Director at the NYU Furman Center