Twenty individuals to be provided with $500 per month for one year via joint Elm City Resident ID + prepaid Mastercard in effort to promote positive outcomes for reentry population.

NEW HAVEN, C.T. – Today, the City of New Haven, 4-CT, and Project M.O.R.E. announced a new guaranteed income pilot program for individuals transitioning from the criminal justice system back to the New Haven community in a new and innovative initiative to promote positive outcomes for the reentry population. The pilot will provide twenty program participants with a combination Elm City Resident ID + prepaid Mastercard with monthly cash transfers of $500 per month for one year, removing key obstacles to reintegration that many face when returning from incarceration. (Video of the press conference in its entirety can be viewed here.)

“We know that returning from incarceration can be an incredibly challenging time because of the many obstacles you have to overcome – finding a new job, a new home, and attending to other critical needs,” said Mayor Justin Elicker. “As a city, we’re committed to doing everything we can to help set returning citizens up for success, so they become thriving members of our community. This new guaranteed income pilot is an innovative opportunity to aid and empower individuals during this critical reentry period.”

The aims of the pilot are twofold: (1) to determine the benefits and effectiveness of a guaranteed income for the formerly incarcerated; and (2) to improve systems for delivering support to individuals transitioning back into society. The guaranteed income pilot will be one of the first of its kind in the country among the reentry population, alongside the cities of Chicago, IL, Durham, NC, and Gainesville, FL.

Currently, correctional institutions send around 900 individuals back home to New Haven every year, according to the Connecticut State Department of Correction. Prior to their release, individuals have access to the Transition Services Program which helps them prepare for a successful reintegration into society. In addition, up to $50 in “gate money” may be given upon release. However, difficulties obtaining a photo ID, limited employment prospects, uncertain or unstable housing, along with other reentry challenges can make the transition after incarceration difficult and outcomes are often poor because of unmet proximate needs.

In recent years, between 26 percent and 32 percent of individuals released or discharged from Connecticut’s correctional facilities are reincarcerated within one year, and the number rises to between 36 percent and 45 percent with two years and between 43 percent and 61 percent within three years, according to the State of Connecticut Office of Policy and Management’s Criminal Justice Policy and Planning Division.

This pilot program seeks to help address some of these challenges with the prompt issuance of an Elm City Resident ID card that also serves as a prepaid Mastercard with a reliable guaranteed monthly income of $500 per month for a total of $6,000 over the course of one year.

The pilot program will run between March 2023 and February 2024 and be administered and funded by 4-CT, at a total cost of $120,000. 4-CT is a Connecticut-based non-profit that partners with community-based organizations across the state to provide direct cash assistance to residents in need. Originally established at the onset of the Covid-19 crisis to provide emergency funding statewide, 4-CT has expanded its mission beyond the pandemic to use cash assistance to address immediate crises while also exploring the efficacy of recurring payments as a means for addressing systemic injustices.

Sarah Blanton, CEO of 4-CT, said, “We are thrilled to work with the City of New Haven, Project M.O.R.E., and Mastercard to reduce social and economic barriers for formerly incarcerated individuals. We believe that cash assistance is a powerful tool to relieve economic pressures while giving the recipients the dignity and autonomy to decide for themselves how to improve their lives. Providing targeted, recurring, no-strings-attached guaranteed income makes it possible for individuals to meet their immediate needs and stay on track to reach longer-term goals.”

Participants in the program were identified by the Project M.O.R.E. Reentry Welcome Center and are currently receiving transition-related services. Participants will also participate in quarterly surveys and interviews with 4-CT to help evaluate the impact of the pilot. 

The announcement was held at the Project M.O.R.E. Reentry Welcome Center, a one-stop shop for reentry services for eligible individuals who are returning to New Haven from incarceration or any individual who has been involved in the criminal justice system residing in New Haven or surrounding towns. Clients are paired with Peer Support Specialists who assess their service needs and connect them to services for Identification, Housing, SNAP, transportation, medical care, assistance for substance use disorder, mental health care employment and more. The Reentry Welcome Center also provides Peer Group Sessions, Career Resource Specialists, clothing, access to computers and computer training.

“Many incarcerated people lack the critical support needed to be successful. They either do not have, or do not know how to, fully access opportunities. Then, one has to work unbelievably hard and be 100 percent committed. Without these ingredients, they may find themselves going back to what they know - usually with bad outcomes: homelessness, poverty, crime, and a return to prison. This program is an example of a resource that may help someone start over and get on a positive track,” said AF Santiago, a program participant.

As part of this effort, 4-CT, the City of New Haven, and Project M.O.R.E. worked with Usio, Inc. and Mastercard’s Global Cities team to launch an ID + payment card unique to the City of New Haven. These cards have been distributed to every program participant.

“Driving financial inclusion and urban innovation while ensuring residents have access to city services is essential,” said Jody Barnett, Head of Global Cities and Urban Mobility at Mastercard. “Leveraging partnerships to broaden accessibility through digitized government services is a model that can help to sustain upward economic mobility for residents, in New Haven and beyond.”

Additional speakers at the press conference, included: Carlos Sosa-Lombardo, Executive Director, New Haven Department of Community Resilience; Dijonée Talley, Special Projects Director, New Haven Department of Community Resilience; Raquel Ferguson, social worker and case manager, Project M.O.R.E.; and Samantha Esposito, case manager, Project M.O.R.E. Other attendees included: Dr. Mehul Dalal, New Haven Community Services Administrator, and Keisha Gatison, Director, Project M.O.R.E., among others. 

PRESS CONTACTS:

• City of New Haven: Lenny H. Speiller; (203) 725-4249; Lspeiller@newhavenct.gov
• 4-CT: Katie Rosa Moher; (203) 521-8499; katie@4-ct.org
• Mastercard: Max Barnes; (415) 203-2968; maximilian.barnes@mastercard.com