According to the National Institute of Justice, almost 44 percent of criminals released return to prison before their first year out. In New York State, 40 percent of those released return within three years. These rates are influenced by an individual’s social environment and community, life circumstances before incarceration, and ability to adjust back into normal life.

The National Institute of Justice has also indicated that having one parent in prison increases the chance of a child to later be incarcerated by six-fold. That’s why prevention is so important and relevant in a time when the prison population has increased, starting in the 1990s to the present day.

Innovative programming can help turn the tide, restore public trust between the community and law enforcement, and provide the direct support at-risk youth and families need to break the cycle of crime and incarceration.

The Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office cannot do this work alone, which is why the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Foundation is so important.