News
March Highlights
Highlights of our staff and program accomplishments throughout March.
- Osborne’s Women With a Plan program hosted its second annual “Phenomenal Women” event (pictured above) earlier this month, bringing together 48 women and a community of supporters to celebrate their strength, resilience, and achievements during Women’s History Month. Panelists including activists Donna Hylton and John Bunn shared reflections on their experiences navigating the carceral system for themselves or loved ones, while encouraging participants to use their voices and reminding them that a strong, supportive community stands with them. Women with a Plan offers one-on-one case management and personalized support to help women impacted by incarceration navigate education and employment opportunities. Explore a photo essay from the event here. We thank our host, Trinity Church, for making this event possible.
- Osborne’s LGBTQIA+ Case Management program team presented at this year’s inaugural, two-day Transgender Wellness and Equity Fund (TWEF) “Affirming Care” Convening. Ali Kamerman, program coordinator, Grace Detrevarah, senior peer liaison, and Petal Fogenay-Foster, deputy director of workforce development, joined organizations from across the state in Albany to exchange expertise, strengthen networks, and develop strategies to advance policy and support for transgender and gender-expansive communities. The team presented on the impact of accompaniment for TGNCNB and LGBTQIA+ participants, highlighting the critical support it provides in navigating benefits, parole, probation, and other systems, and shared training resources with attendees. This one-of-a-kind program supports LGBTQIA+ people in reentry or whose circumstances put them at risk of justice involvement.
- Two longstanding Osborne programs will expand this year, thanks to additional funding from the NYS Division of Criminal Justice Services. Our Court Advocacy Services team, which supports individuals facing criminal charges in New York City, Westchester County, and six upstate counties, will be enhanced with the addition of six trauma-informed care specialists. They will deliver direct, therapeutic, and trauma-informed services to high-need clients—both in the community and in detention.
We will also expand our Elder Reentry Initiative, the first and still the only reentry program exclusively serving older adults in New York State prisons and New York City jails who are returning to New York City after incarceration. ERI guides people aged 50 and over through the reentry process, supporting them to find stability and safety after incarceration and welcoming them into a community of peers. With this new funding, ERI will provide more intensive services in New York City and expand statewide to serve older adults returning from prison to communities anywhere across New York State.