In early 1986, the New York State Legislature enacted Chapter 683 of the Laws of New York State. Chapter 683 made provisions for and formalized educational services to youth, ages 16 – 21, incarcerated in county and municipal correctional facilities. These funds, in combination with other State and federal funds, form the basis of the New York State Transition Program Model.
The Transition Program Model combines pre-release and post-release programming to reduce recidivism among ex-offenders. At the heart of the transition program is a transition counselor or case manager who works closely with the inmate at the time of incarceration and continues working with the individual for up to six months after release.
In an effort to determine the impact of the transition program and to support continuous improvement, the State Education Department funded three research studies. The first study was conducted between 1994 and 1995, the second between 1997 and 1998, and the third between 1998 and 1999. These studies were conducted by The Westchester Institute of for Human Services Research, Inc. and MAGI Educational Services, Inc., and Hudson River Center for Program Development, Inc. assisted with the second and third studies. All of the studies confirmed that connecting pre–release programming to post-release programming has a positive long–term impact on participants.
Volume 1, (Number 1) Winter 1996
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Volume 2, (Number 1) Spring 1998
Topics include:
Volume 3, (Number 1) Summer 1999
Topics include: