Elder Reentry

Older adults coming home from prison and jail face all of the challenges that formerly incarcerated people do, plus the complications that can come with aging, including greater medical vulnerability, diminished mobility and cognitive abilities, profound disorientation, and social isolation. Due largely to extreme sentences imposed decades earlier and inadequate release mechanisms, this population is growing rapidly in our correctional facilities: while other age groups have declined, the number of incarcerated older adults has increased by nearly 300% over the past decade. To meet their need for specialized services, Osborne created the Elder Reentry Initiative (ERI), the first and still the only reentry program exclusively serving older adults in New York State prisons, New York City jails, and the communities to which they return.

ERI guides older people through the reentry process, helping them find stability and safety after incarceration and welcoming them into a community of peers. Since incarceration is associated with “accelerated aging,” we serve people starting at age 50. Inside correctional facilities, ERI provides comprehensive geriatric assessments and discharge plans. In the community, we ensure participants have the resources they need, such as health care, benefits, employment training, and housing (including skilled nursing facilities). Resources include peer mentors, social support, career counseling, resumé assistance, benefits application, and support with unfamiliar technology, like cell phones and the Internet.