Dignity at the Door: Why Gate Money Is Smart Policy

By Cheryl Morris, Ret. Deputy Superintendent, NYS Dept. of Corrections | Board Member, LEAP

 

Imagine leaving prison after 10, 15, or even 25 years—and being handed just $200 and a one-way bus ticket.

No housing. No job. No phone. No support system.

This is what thousands of New Yorkers face every year after incarceration. And it is not just unjust—it is dangerous.

That’s why I’m advocating for S6222, the Gate Money Reform Act, which would provide a minimum of $2,550 to every individual upon release from state prison. This investment is not charity—it’s common sense.

People reentering society need clothes, transportation, food, and time to find work and housing. Without these basics, they are more likely to return to survival-based crimes—and land right back in prison.

As a retired Deputy Superintendent, I know what happens when we don’t invest in reentry: families suffer, communities suffer, and public safety suffers.

Gate money means dignity. It means stability. It means a fair shot at a second chance.

#GateMoneyNow #ReentryMatters #SmartOnCrime #SupportSecondChances #S6222 #JusticeThatInvests #LEAPForward #EndTheCycle