FPWA Report Exposes the Danger Posed by the Poverty to Prison Pipeline

New York, NY — If you are poor in New York City – especially if you are a low-income person of color – there’s an increased likelihood that you will be drawn into the criminal justice system. And once justice-involved, climbing out of poverty becomes harder. A mechanism is already in place, however, that can help interrupt this pipeline –human service organizations.

This is the finding of a new report released today by FPWA’s Ending the Poverty to Prison Pipeline Task Force. The report outlines steps New York City must take to address the cycle of poverty and criminalization of low-income New Yorkers and the critical role that those organizations already providing services to these individuals, families and communities could play.

The report, a culmination of months of research and engagement with nearly 100 leaders from community-based organizations, academia, faith communities, government, as well as criminal justice system-impacted individuals, analyzes the intersections of race, poverty, and the criminal justice system. FPWA’s original analysis found that seven of the ten poorest community districts are also among the ten districts with the highest jail incarceration rates. The report goes on to advance a set of programmatic and policy recommendations to better support justice-involved individuals and families in New York City.

According to FPWA, New York City should be doing more to support New Yorkers who are justice-involved, including those who are formerly incarcerated and those with parole, probation, and community supervision, These individuals and their families struggle with access to housing, employment, educational opportunities, and meeting health and mental health needs and experience a patchwork of services that are under-resourced and not targeted to meet the complex challenges that come before, during, and after justice involvement. The result is a continuing cycle of poverty and incarceration that has a devastating impact on families for generations.

“If we are serious about ending mass incarceration, if we want to disrupt systems that criminalize the poor, we must better utilize and resource the organizations that are already providing critical services to New Yorkers in these communities,” said Jennifer Jones Austin, FPWA CEO and Executive Director. “Systemic racism drives both poverty and the mass incarceration of low-income people, especially people of color. This cycle of poverty and criminal justice involvement feeds on itself and creates herculean barriers to achieving economic and social advancement, for those who have been justice involved and for their loved ones. There are proven ways to support communities experiencing high levels of poverty, income insecurity and incarceration. Human services organizations are a key part of those solutions.” 

“I thank the Ending Poverty to Prison Pipeline Task Force for their thoughtful examination of the role that justice involvement plays in the persistent challenges our City faces, said First Deputy Mayor Dean Fuleihan on the report’s release. “We are committed to working with the coalition and with providers to drive towards improvements that better coordinate our work, continue to strengthen health and mental health services, and strengthen educational opportunities in a manner that acknowledges the context of justice involvement and related trauma, and the reality of the shadows these challenges cast on our communities.” 

Source: Mercury