Homeless individuals released from incarceration face increased vulnerability rather than relief. In New York City, a significant portion of those incarcerated, particularly those with mental illness or substance use disorders, lack housing upon release, exacerbating the cycle of homelessness and re-incarceration. Current policies for supportive housing are too restrictive, focusing on chronic homelessness criteria which can exclude recently jailed individuals. This disqualification leads them to return to the streets or shelters, perpetuating a harmful cycle. There is a critical need for policy updates reflecting the true impact of incarceration on homelessness.
A person who is unhoused before incarceration is no less vulnerable after release. But our current policy treats time in jail as if it erases their homelessness. It doesn't—it makes it worse.
Each of these issues is deeply connected: homelessness is 10 times more prevalent among formerly incarcerated individuals than it is for the general public, and 50 percent of individuals on Rikers Island have been diagnosed with a mental illness.
Despite the well-documented link between housing instability and incarceration, most supportive housing programs in New York City currently require applicants to meet the federal definition of being chronically homeless.
Even a brief jail stay can disqualify someone from supportive housing, especially people with serious mental illness or addiction. When they're released, they often have nowhere to go but the streets or a shelter.
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