By Kathy Amoroso
March 10, 2008

U.S. Conference of Mayors President Trenton Mayor Douglas H. Palmer, New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, and several other mayors gathered in New York, February 26-27, for the Mayors’ Summit on Reentry and Employment — the biggest ever national summit to discuss the impact of prison and jail reentry on cities.

The summit, hosted by The U.S. Conference of Mayors, New York University’s Wagner School of Public Service in partnership with Public/Private Ventures (P/PV), and the City of New York, brought together mayors, policymakers, leading academics, foundations and practitioners to share information, practices and strategies for helping former inmates find stable employment following release from prison, and reducing recidivism rates in cities across the country.

“Reentry is a common community goal,” said Conference Executive Director and CEO Tom Cochran in his remarks at the summit. “That’s why mayoral leadership is crucial on this issue. An effective mayor will ensure effective return of prisoners to their communities.”

To increase our efforts, our President Doug Palmer of Trenton, New Jersey has appointed Mayors Wayne Smith of Irvington, NJ and Sheila Dixon of Baltimore, Maryland as Co-Chairs of a new Reentry Task Force.

And in our Mayors 10-Point Plan — which we are using to help focus both the Presidential Candidates and Congress - we are calling for a comprehensive federal agenda on reentry and related public safety and social service issues. But in the end, mayors know that most of the solutions will be found at the local level. As on most issues, mayors have to be the leaders,” he said.

“I want to pick up on the theme of how important it is that mayors have to take the lead on this,” Jeremy Travis, President of John Jay College of Criminal Justice said in his opening address at the summit. “It is great to see so many mayors here today. They know best how to harness the talent, align the resources and do all that’s necessary to have a significant impact on this problem. The stars are aligned to produce some good in this world…..and mayors are the ones to help align those stars.”

“Why should mayors care about reentry?” he continued, “Isn’t it the function of states and counties? Mayors care about reentry because they recognize the well-being of their cities is inextricably linked to this issue. We have quadrupled the prison population since 1972. 700,000 prisoners will come back home this year -- over four times the number who made the same journey over 30 years ago. They keep coming back to the same small, already overburdened communities — and mayors know this all too well.”

USCM President Palmer then introduced New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg who delivered the keynote address at the summit.

“I now want to introduce you to the second greatest Mayor of New York City,” Palmer said. “He let’s me call him the second greatest Mayor of New York because he knows that former Mayor David Dinkins is my godfather. But other than my godfather, he’s the greatest Mayor New York has ever had.”

“People leaving jail or prison often lack not only the most basic needs of food, shelter and clothing, but job skills, training and placement as well as transitional housing and support services, including substance abuse and mental health treatment,” Bloomberg said in his keynote address. “When a former prisoner gets off the bus, within a few hours he’ll start experiencing that most basic human need — hunger — and he’ll have no way to pay for his food.”

“The high recidivism rates that translate into thousands of new crimes each year could easily be averted through improved reentry efforts. This year we will build more classrooms at Rikers Island and make going to school there more attractive. And to keep inmates on the right path once they leave, we will link them to the benefits they need immediately upon release. They’ve paid their debt — but with no prospects, sadly, too many of them will return to jail. Let’s help them build their future — which will help keep all of us safe.”

Palmer also participated as a speaker on the Summit’s Policymaker/Academic Roundtable. “This is a huge issue facing our nation today,” he said. “If we could reduce our recidivism rates in this country — in our cities — by finding ways to help ex-offenders successfully reintegrate back into society, think of the funds we could save. Think of the resources that would become available for education, recreation, housing and medical assistance. And beyond that, if we could find ways to help people who come out of prison stay out of prison, think of the impact that would have on others — particularly their children. We already know children of prisoners have a 70 percent greater chance of following their parents into prison. How do we break this cycle? We have spent too much time getting people into prisons; now we have to expend some energy and time trying to figure out how to keep folks out of prisons.

The summit opened with a screening of Hard Road Home, a documentary by award-winning filmmaker Macky Alston (soon to be seen on PBS’ Independent Lens). The film follows former prisoner and founder of Harlem’s Exodus Transitional Community, Julio Medina, and his staff as they struggle to keep returning prisoners employed and out of prison.

Exodus was part of Ready4Work, a 17 site, three-year prisoner reentry demonstration developed and run by P/PV, with support from the U.S. Departments of Labor and Justice and the Annie E. Casey and Ford Foundations. Ready4Work participants had impressive outcomes, including recidivism rates that were 35 to 50 percent below national averages.

Mayors also heard representatives from New York, Boston and Chicago, outline promising strategies for connecting formerly incarcerated people to work, focusing on what is applicable and replicable in cities around the country.

In addition to Palmer and Bloomberg, mayors in attendance at the summit included: Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard, Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton, New Haven Mayor John DeStefano, Elizabeth Mayor Chris Bollwage, Irvington Mayor Wayne Smith, Baltimore Deputy Mayor Salima Siler Marriott, and former Philadelphia Mayor W. Wilson Goode, Sr.