News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 2, 2026

NYC PARTNERING WITH COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS TO DELIVER NEW SERVICES TO PEOPLE IN CUSTODY

The programs were designed in consultation with people in custody and were procured using a pioneering approach that “challenged” applicants to develop innovative solutions.

The programs focus on four service areas, including educational services, trauma-informed care, substance misuse, and transition and transportation planning.

NEW YORK – New York City Department of Correction (DOC) Commissioner Lynelle Maginley-Liddie and New York City Mayor’s Office of Contract Services (MOCS) Director Kim Yu today announced a new era of service delivery, as DOC partners with community-based organizations to provide a range of programs developed in consultation with people in custody and procured using Challenge-Based Procurement. The contracts were recently registered with the Office of the Comptroller, and services are expected to begin in early 2026.

"Strong, supportive programming matters. Done well, it can fundamentally alter the course of an incarcerated person's life,” said NYC Department of Correction Commissioner Lynelle Maginley-Liddie. “We invited service providers to think creatively and innovatively about how to set people up for lasting success and based program creation around feedback we received directly from the very people in our care. This is — in a very real sense — a challenge to all of us, and I cannot wait to get to work with these partners.”

“Challenge-Based Procurement is about reimagining how the City partners with vendors,” said City Chief Procurement Officer and MOCS Director Kim Yu. “By moving away from rigid, prescriptive contracts and toward clearly defined challenges shaped by the community, we are creating a procurement system that empowers vendors to lead with their strengths. We are proud to partner with the Department of Correction and will continue to provide the guidance and tools needed to make to navigate challenge-based procurements. The city is excited to learn from these providers as we scale solutions that advance innovation for all New Yorkers.”

In selecting these providers, the City departed from traditional contracting approaches, which often include extensive specifications and rigid requirements based on past procurements, and instead used Challenge-Based Procurement. To deliver services within its facilities, DOC and the Mayor’s Office of Contract Services (MOCS) developed and released four “challenges,” focused on identifying solutions for education services, trauma-informed care, substance misuse, and transition and transportation planning. These focus areas were identified in consultation with people in custody.

The Challenge-Based Procurement model — rather than dictating how a problem must be solved — invites applicants to propose their most innovative solutions. This approach not only fosters creativity but also encourages a diverse range of perspectives and ideas.

This model empowers contracting partners to showcase their strengths and capabilities, which may otherwise remain constrained under traditional procurement methods. If a supplier’s approach proves successful, the solution may be scaled within the awarded contract, rather than requiring a new, lengthy procurement process.

These services are a critical part of the City’s strategy to safely reduce the jail population by setting people up for success upon release and lowering the likelihood of re-incarceration. Rearrest rates for individuals released from DOC have increased in the last few years. This is driven by individuals with serious needs such as mental and behavioral health. Research shows that quality treatment services while people are in jail and connection to the right level of service upon discharge can reduce subsequent rearrest.

The Supplemental Education contract was awarded to the Petey Greene Program. The Petey Greene Program will be tasked with increasing the number of students ready to take (and pass) the High School Equivalency exam, improving student performance in academic courses, increasing the number of college credits earned by people in custody, and broadly tutoring to the educational needs of the population.

The Trauma-Informed Care contract was awarded to the Osborne Association. The Osborne Association will be tasked with facilitating group programming and providing wraparound services for individuals, through a trauma-informed lens. In addition, the Osborne Association will support training of DOC staff in trauma-informed care.

The Substance Misuse contract was awarded to the Fortune Society. The Fortune Society will be tasked with facilitating group programming and providing wraparound services for individuals with substance misuse needs. Additionally, the Fortune Society will support the opening of Sober Living Communities across multiple correctional facilities on Rikers Island to provide supportive programming housing units that encourage sober lifestyles.

The Transition Planning and Transportation Services contract was awarded to both FedCap and the Fortune Society. Both agencies will be tasked with facilitating re-entry focused group programming and providing wraparound services, including completing transition plans for people leaving the Department’s custody. They will support week-of discharge support for individuals returning home to our communities and ensure people are connected to community-based programs to support a successful re-entry. FedCap is tasked with supporting transportation of individual’s off Rikers Island and to a community-based provider upon discharge.

“This initiative stands as another example of the Department’s ongoing efforts to provide people in custody with the tools they need to successfully re-enter their communities,” said Deputy Commissioner of Programs and Community Partnerships Nell Colón. “Through close collaboration with program providers and individuals in custody, the Department seeks to ensure that funds are invested in programs that deliver tangible results, meet the needs of all stakeholders, and build upon services already in place.”

“These contracts are vital to ensuring that people who are incarcerated have access to meaningful, evidence-based support as they prepare to return home,” said Randi Rothschild, LCSW, MA, Chief Program Officer at The Fortune Society. “These programs save lives by addressing substance use, trauma, and reentry needs when they matter most. We thank Department of Correction Commissioner Lynelle Maginley-Liddie and Mayor’s Office of Contract Services Director Kim Yu for recognizing the essential role community-based organizations play inside jails and for advancing partnerships that make facilities safer, strengthen families, and give people a real chance to succeed when they return to their communities.”

“Education inside jails works best when it’s built around people, not paperwork,” said Jeffrey Abramowitz, Chief Executive Officer of the Petey Greene Program. “The City’s challenge framework gives us the flexibility to meet students where they are and provide the kind of individualized academic support that helps them succeed—in the classroom and beyond.”

“Being separated from family and confined in jail is deeply destabilizing, especially for people already navigating trauma, mental illness, or substance use challenges,” said Jonathan Monsalve, President and CEO of Osborne Association. “Through this program, our experienced, trauma-informed staff will provide one-on-one and group support that promotes healing, emotional stability, and preparation for a successful return to the community.”

“Successful re-entry depends on what happens at the moment of transition,” said Christine McMahon, President and CEO of Fedcap. “We are proud to partner with the New York City Department of Correction, the New York City Mayor’s Office of Contract Services, the Fortune Society, and other partners to deliver coordinated planning, discharge support, and safe transportation—helping turn release into a true pathway to stability, services, and long-term success.”

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