NY Daily News: Save Youngsters from Prison; Save Lives and Money

In an op-ed for New York Daily News, our CEO & President Melanie Hartzog discusses the benefits and need for Alternative to Incarceration programs – like Families Rising, The Foundling’s long-running ATI program, which has helped more than 500 adolescents and young adults avoid incarceration since its launch in 2012.

Programs like this in New York City are in jeopardy however, given upcoming budget cuts. “The Foundling and several other Alternative to Incarceration and re-entry programs have been told to expect $7 million in cuts in the coming fiscal year, which starts on July 1, and $9 million the following fiscal year. For every $100,000 of funding lost, we estimate that 16 young people won’t receive services,” says Hartzog.

“I spent three years as the director of the New York City Office of Management and Budget during the last mayoral administration. I know firsthand there are many ways to approach balancing the city’s budget. One is to strike budget lines on a spreadsheet, but the best way is to recognize the real value — and dollars saved — of programs over time. Alternative to Incarceration programs change lives and come with immediate and longer-term benefits, among them money saved,” Hartzog writes.

Read more at New York Daily News