Center for Employment Opportunities Applauds Rochester Electeds for Their Commitment to Public Safety and Economic Equality.
Contact:
Claire Gross, Sr. Manager of Public Relations
cgross@ceoworks.org | 646) 370-8292
Rochester, NY —August 27,2025 — The Rochester City Council passed a resolution supporting the Reentry Assistance Bill. The following is a statement from the Center for Employment Opportunities Director of Organizing, Simone Price, and includes a quote from State Senator Jeremy Cooney:
“The Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO), a founding member of the New York Reentry Cash Coalition, applauds the Rochester City Council for passing a resolution supporting the Reentry Assistance Bill. Our state must ensure individuals returning home from incarceration have access to the tools, resources, and dignity they need to rebuild their lives successfully.
Rochester’s leaders have boldly committed to advancing equity, public safety, and economic opportunity for all residents. By backing the Reentry Assistance Bill, Rochester clearly conveys that our communities are stronger when we invest in people, not punish them indefinitely.
CEO is grateful for the leadership of Senator Jeremy Cooney for his sponsorship of the bill at the state level and his commitment to faithfully representing the needs of his constituents in Rochester.
Increasing the amount of money people receive when leaving incarceration is critical to their successful reentry, because it ensures they are in a better position to cover their most basic needs, such as food, housing, transportation, and job preparation expenses. By doing so, we also set them up to be self-sufficient, reducing the high costs to taxpayers associated with recidivism. Plain and simple, reentry cash assistance is a common-sense and cost-effective solution to reduce recidivism and promote the well-being of all our communities.”
Quote from New York State Senator Jeremy Cooney:
“As a proud sponsor of the Reentry Assistance Bill in the State Senate, I believe this local resolution sends a powerful message: Rochester is ready to lead."
Background:
Powered by irrefutable evidence, the Reentry Assistance Bill (S6222/A6990) included meaningful financial support of up to $2,550 over six months to people returning home.
Currently, in New York State, individuals released from prison receive cash assistance of up to $200 if the amount in their commissary is below the $200 threshold. This amount does not begin to address their most basic needs, such as food, housing, transportation, and job-hunting-related expenses–especially for a perpetually underserved and excluded population. At any given time, around 40% of justice-impacted people experience joblessness over multiple years, live with food insecurity at twice the rate of the general population, and are seven times more likely to be unhoused. The Reentry Assistance Bill would provide immediate support, allowing returning New Yorkers to rebuild their lives and cultivate a stable, secure, and thriving life.
Advocacy for the Reentry Assistance Bill is built on concrete data showing financial assistance keeps people from returning to prison. A groundbreaking and independent impact study published by MDRC in April 2025 found that CEO’s Returning Citizens Stimulus program significantly reduced parole violations in the year following release from incarceration—even though the cash installments lasted only 60 days.
About the Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO)
The Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) provides immediate, effective, and comprehensive employment services exclusively to people recently released from incarceration. CEO currently operates in more than 30 cities across 12 states and is dedicated to ensuring that justice-impacted individuals have opportunities to achieve socioeconomic mobility. For more information, visit ceoworks.org.