Osborne's Recent Highlights

September

• Tomorrow, See Us, Support Us (SUSU) kicks off its annual month of awareness-raising for children of incarcerated parents. This year, we mark the 20th anniversary of the Children of Incarcerated Parents’ Bill of Rights, which presents eight rights to ensure the well-being of children whose parents are arrested or incarcerated. In 2005, the Rights to Realities platform was issued, outlining action steps to implement each one. These groundbreaking documents were developed by the San Francisco Partnership for Children of Incarcerated Parents based on their work with children and families. Throughout October, SUSU will host events, elevate youth voices, offer tools, and create community, including a conversation on WBAI Radio’s On the Count later this month and a Youth Listening Session on October 27. Activities like the SUSU youth art contest and social media connections offer ways for young people and allies to get involved. Visit the SUSU website to learn more and sign up for the SUSU newsletter to join the community.
   
• On a recent Sunday afternoon, a group of residents from Osborne’s Marcus Garvey Supportive Housing program (pictured above) attended a moving performance of The Brothers Size at The Shed. A restaging of Tarell Alvin McCraney’s play on its 20th anniversary, the work was described by The New York Times as a meditation on “the very real and very prescient themes of Black incarceration, brotherhood and masculinity.” We are grateful to The Shed for providing this opportunity to our growing community of supportive housing residents. Osborne is now accepting applications for Marcus Garvey II, which will provide 88 additional units to formerly incarcerated older adults.
   
• In other housing news, it has been six months since the final Osborne resident moved into The Rise, a new 70-unit building where we provide supportive services for 10 formerly incarcerated men who live in community with formerly incarcerated women served by Women’s Prison Association. Our residents, who are largely Black men who have experienced a combined 70 years of incarceration, are actively participating in our Motivational Monday events and programming nearby at Marcus Garvey.
   
• Three months after the Child Sensitive Arrest law went into effect in New York State, Osborne was back in Albany leading the way to share strategies for its implementation at the annual New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services’ Public Safety Symposium. Albany Police Chief Brendan Cox, retired NYPD Deputy Chief Lourdes Soto, and Osborne’s Tanya Krupat co-presented on how to reduce the traumatic impact of witnessing parental arrest on children, consider children’s perspectives and developmental needs during interactions, and see this growing movement as a way to advance the mission of law enforcement.

August

• The lasting power of Osborne’s programs for young adults was on vivid display last week as a group of young men in our NeON Works program gathered at the conclusion of a six-day Alternatives to Violence Project (AVP) training. Sitting in a circle to reflect with them was Osborne’s Theodore “T” Haywood,  who was part of the so-called think tank at Green Haven Correctional Facility that conceived of AVP 50 years ago this year. Leading the discussion was Jamal, a BOGAP graduate who has completed advanced AVP training and is now a paid facilitator and whose grandfather was also a think tank member alongside T. As one graduate reflected, “When I thought it was over, y’all showed me it wasn’t. Now I’m looking for forever goals.” Read our photo essay of the group here. 
   
• Nearly 50 family members joined their loved ones in the gymnasium at the Rose M. Singer Center at Rikers last week for a Family Day organized by staff from Osborne and Hour Children who provide specialized services and visiting support for incarcerated mothers. Staff set up games and a popcorn and cotton candy station, while correction officers assisted them in serving a catered meal. All families received back-to-school supplies for their school-aged kids. Families sat at tables together talking, laughing, and embracing all afternoon. “We don’t see each other that much,” said one mother gazing at her four-year-old as they waited their turn for face painting. “But we have today, right?”
   
• Our first supportive housing program in Newburgh reached a milestone with last week’s closing on a 5-unit building we will redevelop. To expand our reentry housing portfolio beyond New York City, Osborne will soon offer permanent supportive housing for men after long-term incarceration in Newburgh’s Washington Heights neighborhood. We estimate that we will complete the project by the end of 2026.

July

• The summer session of Osborne’s Youth Experience Success (YES!) program began this week in Brooklyn for youth ages 13–15 who have experienced the incarceration of a family member. Camp YES! kicked off with affirmations, guided team-building activities, and discussions designed to help group members get to know one another and recognize the power of shared experience. Daily outings and activities (pictured above) will include museum visits, a sneaker design and DJ workshop, roller skating and more – ending with an annual trip to Coney Island. Offered year-round in Brooklyn and Buffalo, YES! provides a supportive peer community through which young people gain essential life skills, receive emotional support, and participate in enriching experiences.
  
   
• Last month, Osborne celebrated 15 people who completed the Elder Reentry Initiative (ERI) at the North Infirmary Command on Rikers Island, which houses people with acute medical conditions and disabilities. ERI supports the unique needs of older adults preparing for life after incarceration, addressing medical vulnerability, diminished mobility, and social isolation by providing specialized reentry services and a community of support both inside and beyond correctional facilities. Participant James Devore reflected, “I appreciated the sharing that took place in the room,” noting how hearing others’ stories helped him realize many of his experiences were shared by others. Efrain Rivera overcame his fear of public speaking to personally thank Osborne staff for the meaningful connection they built with him and others.
  
   
   
• Osborne’s NeON Works program has been busy supporting young people in the Bronx and Harlem as they pursue educational and career goals. Last month, the program held online job readiness training workshops and launched the Community Benefit Project, which placed participants in volunteer positions at two Harlem Grown locations. Career coaches connected participants to job fairs, GED programs, vocational training, and trade schools.
  
   
• The Associated Press recently investigated the impact of “sweeping federal grant cuts” through a closer look at Bronx nonprofits, including Osborne. Our youth gun violence prevention program, the Bronx Osborne Gun Accountability and Prevention Program (BOGAP), has lost a major portion of its funding. As a result, this diversion program that supports young people to avoid prison by committing to yearlong services and trainings will serve 25( or one-third) fewer participants. As President and CEO Jonathan Monsalve observed, BOGAP is “a lifeline for young people.” Read the story here.
  
  
   
• Michelle Howard, Osborne’s Chief Program Officer, was just named to Crain’s New York’s 2025 “40 Under 40” list. Michelle oversees more than 25 programs with a combined annual budget of $29 million and 190 dedicated staff. She is also an ordained Episcopal priest who serves as priest associate at several NYC-area parishes. Read the profile here.