Growing confidence. A new brotherhood. Different paths within sight. These are just a few of the gains that a group of young men made as part of Osborne’s first Alternative to Incarceration program for young adults.
The Bronx Osborne Gun Accountability and Prevention (BOGAP) program, a partnership developed over several years with Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark, gives young people facing a first-time gun possession charge the chance to commit to an intensive, yearlong program. It combines behavioral and trauma therapy, mentoring and nonviolent conflict resolution training from credible messengers, career training, paid internship opportunities, and job placement. In exchange, participants’ felony charges are reduced to misdemeanors and the possibility of years being lost to the prison system is avoided.
Amid a raging gun crisis, this novel approach goes beyond traditional alternatives to incarceration by addressing the conditions that can lead a young person to carry a gun and promoting individual behavior change and public safety simultaneously.
 Earlier this month, our first graduates stood in court before Judge Judith Lieb, who had counseled them all year and celebrated their achievements one by one. She hailed the change from “the old way” – state prison – to a new one that encourages productive living and achieves community well-being. [Watch an inspiring video here.]
“All of us had been through the same things,” participant Maximo Federo (pictured below left) said recently, and the program and its staff “helped us realize what we want to do in our communities.” He and the eight other graduates are flourishing, several as new parents and many in new careers. Rahleek Partlow (below right) works at a teen tech center teaching music production and design. For his part, Maximo is an administrative assistant who is applying what he has learned in his daily life and envisions working as a credible messenger himself. He entered the program with low expectations, but emerged on the other side with what he sees as a new family.
A second group of participants is scheduled to graduate next month. When they do, this promising model for the Bronx and beyond will continue to build momentum and shrink the carceral system – one young life at a time.
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The 2023 policy priorities of the Osborne Center for Justice Across Generations (OCJAG) move us closer to realizing Osborne’s goals of replacing incarceration and punishment with healing-centered and community-based solutions; dismantling structural racism and building equity; and improving conditions inside prisons and jails for those who live in, work in, and visit them.
Our decades-long focus on children and families continues as OCJAG leads advocacy efforts on two bills. First, we urge the Legislature to pass the Protect In-Person Visits Bill, which would ensure that video conferencing can never replace in-person visits in New York, and would also require that weekend and/or evening visiting hours be offered so children and families don’t have to miss school or work to see their loved ones. We also call for the passage of the Safeguarding Children of Arrested Parents Bill. This bill directs the New York State Police and the New York State Municipal Police Training Council to develop model guidelines and offer training to assist law enforcement in minimizing trauma to children affected by a parent’s arrest. (See more about our work in Buffalo below.)
We continue to advocate for older adults in prison and for increased supports when they come home; the passage of the Elder Parole and Fair and Timely Parole bills; and a fully staffed and rehabilitation-minded New York State Parole Board. We are proud members of the People’s Campaign for Parole Justice, the Fair Chance for Housing Coalition, and the Justice Roadmap, all of which advance a more just, equitable, and safer New York.
You can read and download our 2023 policy priorities here.
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Our Court Advocacy Services team reduced incarceration by 940 years for participants. ReentryWorks, a program aiming to provide transitional planning and reentry services to 1,000 participants, launched in 24 New York State prisons. We celebrate the many ways our staff made a difference for people impacted by the criminal legal system and their families last year. Read more.
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Few law enforcement agencies across the country train their officers in child development or considering children during police interactions when children are present. Thanks to a partnership among Osborne’s Buffalo FamilyWorks, our NY Initiative for Children of Incarcerated Parents, the University of Buffalo, and the Buffalo Police Department, Buffalo is leading the way in New York with a comprehensive written policy and more than 75% of sworn law enforcement officers now trained in safeguarding children during a parent’s arrest. Trained officers say they gained new skills to support children experiencing trauma and anticipate improved community-police relations, according to a survey we just completed. Read more about this groundbreaking initiative.
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Burritos and smoothies were on the menu as Saturday programming from our Children, Youth, and Families Services team got underway for the year with a cooking class in Brooklyn. These monthly gatherings build community among families with an incarcerated parent. We thank our partner Craft Keepers Inc for the engaging program and our dedicated volunteers from St. James’ Church.
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Join us in our work to build a justice system that promotes healing, safety, accountability, and real opportunities to thrive.
Archana Jayaram
President & CEO
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