Raise the Gate: The Case for Cash Assistance for People Leaving Incarceration

The period immediately following release from prison is a time of intense vulnerability for far too many people who are otherwise ready to start rebuilding their lives. Without the ability to pay for necessities like housing and transportation, or to contribute to household expenses, people leaving prison struggle to reconnect with loved ones, comply with supervision requirements, and move forward with their lives.
Immediate financial support upon release provides immediate stability for them and their families and can ultimately open multiple pathways to economic mobility. The Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) has been leading state legislative campaigns to codify that support.
Today’s two guests from CEO are Simone Price, director of organizing, and Alyssa Bradley, senior policy associate, who will speak about their successful campaign to “raise the gate” in California, and also their new campaign in New York.