Program Example
Rikers Island Discharge Enhancement, New York City Department of Corrections
The Rikers Island Discharge Enhancement (RIDE) is a discharge planning program that begins the process of preparing individuals for reentry at the moment of sentencing. Before individuals are transferred from the court to the city jail at Rikers Island, court personnel administer a one-page screening to identify the individuals’ their housing, employment, education, health care, and other service needs. The housing section of the screening includes questions about the individual’s housing situation immediately before arrest, whether they have ever been homeless, and whether they would like assistance with housing upon release. Discharge planners use the screening, along with further assessments, to inform an individualized plan for a person’s transition from jail to the community.
CSG does not endorse any of these programs