Foundation Awards Grants to 18 Nonprofits

The Westchester Community Foundation has awarded grants totaling $567,500 to 18 local nonprofits. Seven grants will go to support criminal justice reform with a focus on providing a continuum of services for young people at risk of incarceration or already justice-involved. 

“These programs aim to reduce the incarceration and recidivism rate for justice-involved youth while demonstrating how new approaches can build the case for lasting criminal justice reform,” said Robin Melén, program officer.  Grants include continuing support to the Center for Court Innovation for a coordinator for the Opportunity Youth Part in the City of New Rochelle, the expansion of restorative justice training by CLUSTER, and programs that help justice-involved youth correct errors on their rap sheets and pursue education and vocational training after release from incarceration.   

A seventh grant will support parole reform efforts with a focus on elderly prisoners.

The grants include:

Center for Court Innovation: $50,000 to support a coordinator in the City of New Rochelle for a program offering services as an alternative to incarceration.

Youth Shelter of Westchester: $25,000 to support a pilot program in the City of Mount Vernon that offers services as an alternative to incarceration.

CLUSTER: $15,000 to train community members to use restorative justice programs.

Finding Peace Within: $10,000 to support a mindfulness training for incarcerated youth housed at the Westchester County Department of Correction.

914United: $25,000 to help young adults exiting Westchester County Department of Correction plan for their education.

Westhab: $37,000 to help justice-involved youth correct errors on their rap sheets.

Release Aging People in Prison (RAPP): $30,000 to advocate for the release of elderly prisoners.

For a complete list of all grants awarded and information on the Foundation, please visit the Foundation’s website at wcf-ny.org.