There are thousands of incarcerated people in New York who are rehabilitated and prepared for successful community reintegration, yet they remain confined under severe sentencing policies that do little to advance public safety. These policies prolong incarceration far beyond what justice requires, imposing significant human and fiscal costs.
At the same time, in neighborhoods throughout New York state, hundreds of thousands of people with criminal records, including those returning home from incarceration each year, face a dense web of statutory civil disabilities, supervision requirements, and entrenched systemic barriers that sharply restrict access to vital basic resources such as education, employment, housing, and public benefits. These burdens are especially acute in low-income communities of color, where decades of disinvestment have undermined equitable access to fundamental necessities and contributed to the very conditions that drive criminal legal system involvement in the first place.
Together, excessive sentencing and persistent obstacles to community reintegration inflict harm on individuals, families, and communities alike.
The Post-Conviction and Reentry Justice Clinic addresses this cycle of perpetual punishment by advocating on behalf of individuals seeking release from incarceration and those navigating the legal consequences of a criminal conviction. Through direct representation, collaborative advocacy, and public education, students work alongside system-impacted people to bring clients home from prison, support sustainable community reentry, and expand opportunity and access for individuals impacted by the criminal legal system.
Instructor: Nicole Smith Futrell, Clinical Professor of Law
Experiential Credits: 7 credits (3 for seminar; 4 for fieldwork)
Available in: Fall 2026 and Spring 2027
