Summary
On January 11, 2022, TakeRoot, the Legal Action Center, and the NYC LGBTQI ATI/Reentry Working Group released Alternative to Incarceration & Reentry Services for the LGBTGNCNBQI+ Community: Research Findings, Best Practices and Recommendations for the Field.
LGBTGNCNBQI+ people are overrepresented in the criminal justice system. Intersecting systemic oppressions, discriminatory laws and law enforcement, and policing tactics contribute to disproportionate criminalization for LGBTGNCNBQI+ people who are people of color, people with HIV, poor people, people who identify as women, young people, and transgender people. And the LGBTGNCNBQI+ community also faces discrimination, exclusion, and disparate access when it comes to accessing services after incarceration.
Despite these realities, there are no Alternative to Incarceration (ATI) or reentry programs specifically serving the LGBTGNCNBQI+ community in the city. Moreover, existing ATI and reentry programs have gaps in LGBTGNCNBQI+ cultural competency and limited ability to meet the specific service needs of LGBTGNCNBQI+ people.
Our research, based on in-depth surveys administered to 40 ATI and reentry provider organizations, seeks to celebrate and amplify the efforts that organizations are already making to ensure their services are LGBTGNCNBQI+ affirming and inclusive. We also highlight places where organizations can grow and change. Our research shows that, while organizations are making strides in their service to the LGBTGNCNBQI+ community, more can and should be done.
Our recommendation section is designed to offer practical, actionable steps that organizations can take to better serve the LGBTGNCNBQI+ community. We include templates, sample documents and scripts which organizations can use as they implement the recommendations.