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Institute Intelligence

Insights, case studies, news, and updates from ISLG’s good governance research and action.


Insights Carla Sinclair Insights Carla Sinclair

WATCH: Criminal Legal Reform in New York, Five Years In

The talk series brought together researchers and on-the-ground stakeholders from across the criminal legal field—including advocates, prosecutors, defense attorneys, judges, and service providers—to reflect on New York’s sweeping changes to its criminal legal system, five years after the legislation has passed.

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Insights Carla Sinclair Insights Carla Sinclair

How Long People Stay is the Problem

Over the past two decades, the average length of stay in New York City jails has increased 136%, from a low of 44 days among those discharged in FY 2001 to 104 days in FY 2023. While much of the blame for this increase has been placed on the COVID pandemic — and certainly the pandemic exacerbated issues, as it did around the country — that is far from the whole story here.

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Insights Carla Sinclair Insights Carla Sinclair

Pell Grants for Incarcerated Students are Only the First Step: Remaining Gaps & Recommendations for Uplifting System-Involved Students

For reentering individuals, the financial burden of pursuing and completing higher education programs begun in prison can be substantial and prohibitive. When surveyed, CIP students (N=114) identified several financial challenges that they anticipated would interfere with returning to school in the community.

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Insights Carla Sinclair Insights Carla Sinclair

Equitable Prison Education Begins with In-Person Instruction

Like other institutions of higher education, College-in-Prison Reentry Initiative (CIP) education providers were faced with shifting from in-person to fully remote coursework with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. Although grateful for the opportunity to continue classes, students and faculty alike described remote coursework as inferior to in-person instruction.

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Insights Carla Sinclair Insights Carla Sinclair

College in Prison 101: Recommendations on Developing & Implementing Meaningful Higher Education for Incarcerated Students

After conducting a multiyear evaluation of the College-in-Prison Reentry Initiative (CIP), we outline recommendations for educational providers, corrections, and other stakeholders to consider how best to prepare for and carry out their missions to provide high-quality postsecondary education to students who are incarcerated.

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Insights Carla Sinclair Insights Carla Sinclair

Providing Youth Aging out of Foster Care with Essential Support & Services in New York City

Over the years, initiatives across NYC have worked to lower the number of youth aging out of foster care without permanent living arrangements, and to provide additional support to those who do. Through our partnership with the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, the Criminal Justice Investment Initiative (CJII) began funding two local programs to support foster youth transitioning to adulthood in 2018.

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