This week, the Justice Lab brought us to another site visit in New York, while I continued working on my data analysis with the Probation and Parole Project. On Tuesday, we visited the Fortune Society’s location at Castle Gardens in West Harlem. Fortune provides housing for recently incarcerated people who need shelter after being released, but unlike a lot of shelters, also gives its residents meals, computer lounge access, a rooftop garden, and much more. They emphasize the importance of fostering community and care upon re-entry from prison, and it was amazing to see the space and have a tour in person.
Separately, on the Probation and Parole Project, I’ve continued data analysis on Texas and some specific counties in particular — this week, I focused on extracting data from the US Census in order to draw comparisons on economic outcomes between the general population and people on probation. I ran into quite a few roadblocks while trying to compile such complicated data, but I’m excited to see how it pays off in the end!