Reentry

New Haven

Forty formerly incarcerated individuals from the New Haven area are receiving $500/month for 12 months in 4-CT’s first guaranteed income pilot. We believe that providing repeat, unconditional financial support for one year supports the stability necessary for individuals to pursue and achieve their personal goals – be they related to housing, employment, relationships, mental and/or physical health. Our participants are seeking to contribute to their communities and pursue the simple joys of freedom.

More than 95% of those currently in prison will be released, and 26%-32% of those will be reincarcerated within one year.

Up to $50 in “gate money” is provided upon release. However, with no photo ID, few employment prospects and uncertain or unstable housing, the transition after incarceration is challenging.

High rate of incarceration in the U.S., which are disproportionately experienced by Black, Indigenous, and low-income individuals, result in a massive health toll (mental and physical) on incarcerated individuals and reverberate to their families and communities.

Correctional institutions send ~900-1,000 individuals back home to New Haven every year.

Although services exist, outcomes are often poor because of unmet proximate needs.

Government policies like the Work Opportunity Tax Credit, which provides subsidies for employers who hire formerly incarcerated people, acknowledge that financial stability is critical to successful reentry. However, even with such programs, only up to 55% of incarcerated adults are employed in the four years immediately following release.

Despite having served their time, these members of our communities face a host of structural and social challenges reintegrating. With monthly financial support, our program gives them the autonomy and dignity to make decisions for themselves about how they rebuild their lives. We follow the journeys of this varied group of individuals, learning critical insights into improving economic and social supports for communities most impacted by mass incarceration.

Elm City Reentry Pilot participants Michael White (with son Micah) and Kevin Boyd: Cash transfer program was a "life saver."

The pilot, developed in partnership with the Project M.O.R.E. Reentry Welcome Center and the City of New Haven, is part of a larger effort to address the cycle of recidivism and reduce community violence in New Haven.

Pilot Overview

  • Guaranteed income provides recurring, unrestricted, no-strings-attached cash assistance to targeted individuals for a set period of time.

    Guaranteed income differs from universal basic income, which is not targeted to a specific population.

    • Number of participants: 60

    • Population focus: Individuals returning from prison to a New Haven City or County address

    • Age range: 19-74

    • Race/ethnicity: 85% Black, 12.5% hispanic, 2.5% Multiracial

    • Avg. monthly income: $1,590

    • Sentence length range: 6 months - 30+ years

  • Participants are selected by the Project M.O.R.E. Reentry Welcome Center.

    • Demonstrate the benefits of a guaranteed income for formerly incarcerated individuals.

    • Improve systems for delivering support to individuals reentering the community.

    • Better understand the context of trauma in the lived experiences of justice-impacted individuals.

  • Each participant receives $500 of unconditional cash assistance each month for 12 months on a card that combines New Haven’s Elm City ID + prepaid Mastercard, developed in partnership with the City of New Haven, Mastercard’s Global Cities team and Usio.

  • 4-CT provides the cash assistance, which is funded entirely through philanthropy.

  • Through quarterly interviews, surveys and analysis of spend data, 4-CT is evaluating the impact of the cash assistance on the employment status, housing security, family relationships, community engagement, mental health and recidivism rate of participants.

  • "[The extra income] has been a lot of help...like with the kids, taking them out for their birthday, with bills, paying for things for my daughter. She's got prom coming up."

  • "Most prisoners will be released one day. We’re your fathers, your brothers, and your neighbors. Most of us want the opportunity to prove we can be hard-working and good parents, husbands, sons, friends, and community members. For me, it’s important to be my very best. Every day. Extending a hand, a lifeline, to someone who has been away for so long can help us to continue to transform our lives."

  • "What am I gonna do now? What am I gonna eat? It can get crazy out there for folks, now. [The money from the pilot] makes it a little easier. At one point, I was working 3 jobs."

  • "My daughter do two different [dance classes]...Her costumes are [expensive], man. I’m like, ‘What the...what’s going on?’ It’s worth it, though. Once you go to the show and see them laughing and dancing.... I’m becoming the dad I want to be."

  • "Sometimes people resort to what they know already. Sometimes people don’t want to do that. Sometimes people want to go another way. I feel like this money right here was another way. I stayed patient and I waited because I didn’t immediately say, ‘Oh let me go sell drugs to get this to get that.’ I didn’t do that this time. I really sat and thought about what I really want to do with myself."

  • "[The money from the pilot] gives me an opportunity to relax, instead of being so stressed out about financial things...It gave me an opportunity to think of another plan on how to take care of my bills after this is over with...search out different opportunities....I got a HAZWOPER certification. I was also able to get a forklift certification. I was able to keep my days free to do these types of things and also to engage agencies to help me try and finance my CDL training."

  • "It's just enabling me to take the time and build this relationship [with my son] that for me is the most important thing in my life. You know? It's just like a dream."

  • "This program is an example of a resource that may help someone start over and get on a positive track. I will do anything I can to help make this a successful program, because anything I can do to help fight homelessness and help someone else stay out of prison is a win for me."

CASH TRANSFER PILOT READIES 3RD COHORT

CASH TRANSFER PILOT READIES 3RD COHORT

ELM CITY REENTRY PILOT PANEL DISCUSSION

ELM CITY REENTRY PILOT PANEL DISCUSSION

4-CT GUEST LECTURE AT YALE LAW SCHOOL'S BASIC INCOME LAB

4-CT GUEST LECTURE AT YALE LAW SCHOOL'S BASIC INCOME LAB

CONNECTICUT PUBLIC INTERVIEWS 4-CT CEO SARAH BLANTON

CONNECTICUT PUBLIC INTERVIEWS 4-CT CEO SARAH BLANTON

ROLLING BOULDERS UPHILL: RETHINKING REENTRY WAGE AND POLICY BARRIERS WILL BENEFIT CONNECTICUT'S COMMUNITIES AND ECONOMY

ROLLING BOULDERS UPHILL: RETHINKING REENTRY WAGE AND POLICY BARRIERS WILL BENEFIT CONNECTICUT'S COMMUNITIES AND ECONOMY

NEW HAVEN BETS NO STRINGS ATTACHED $500 MONTHLY PAYMENT WILL LOWER RECIDIVISM

NEW HAVEN BETS NO STRINGS ATTACHED $500 MONTHLY PAYMENT WILL LOWER RECIDIVISM

PROGRAM LAUNCHED IN NEW HAVEN TO HELP THOSE RELEASED FROM PRISON

PROGRAM LAUNCHED IN NEW HAVEN TO HELP THOSE RELEASED FROM PRISON

PROGRAMA BUSCA BRINDAR NUEVAS OPORTUNIDADES A EX-RECLUSOS

PROGRAMA BUSCA BRINDAR NUEVAS OPORTUNIDADES A EX-RECLUSOS

'IT COULD BE A LIFESAVER' | NEW HAVEN PILOT PROGRAM WORKING TO REDUCE RECIDIVISM

'IT COULD BE A LIFESAVER' | NEW HAVEN PILOT PROGRAM WORKING TO REDUCE RECIDIVISM

PRISON REENTRY PILOT PROGRAM GIVES PARTICIPANTS $500 PER MONTH

PRISON REENTRY PILOT PROGRAM GIVES PARTICIPANTS $500 PER MONTH

REENTRY PILOT TESTS $500 CASH TRANSFERS

REENTRY PILOT TESTS $500 CASH TRANSFERS

PILOT PROGRAM HOPES TO HELP FORMERLY INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS IN CONNECTICUT

PILOT PROGRAM HOPES TO HELP FORMERLY INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS IN CONNECTICUT

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