Support for returning citizens—from mentors who know what it’s like

Derrick Nkosi Cain, a lifelong resident of Brooklyn, graduated from Bard College and The New York Theological Seminary. Nkosi is a returned citizen who served eighteen years in New York State prison. He has worked in criminal justice reform for 20+ years and was a founding member of the Brooklyn Community Bail Fund.

When I meet someone who was formerly incarcerated I often ask, “When did you touch down?” This colloquial phrase for returning home after release lets them know that I share this experience.

I served eighteen years in New York State correctional facilities. During this period of incarceration, I was able to complete post-secondary education, develop self-help programs, and facilitate therapeutic writing workshops. These experiences — and my promise to never allow my freedom to be taken again — prepared me for a life of advocacy, service, and fighting for legislative change.

In 2004 I was granted parole and returned to New York City prepared to change the course of my life. Upon arriving home, I experienced loneliness, depression, and anger. Everyone I had known who shared my values and served as role models was on the inside. I could not find a community that provided a place of belonging for returning citizens.

My background also became a major barrier to employment. I decided to participate in a program that provides jobs to individuals with criminal backgrounds. Upon completion, the director of the program hired me. This would be the start of my journey towards providing services to individuals with challenging backgrounds. I became an advocate for fairness, opportunity for returning citizens, and systems change, eventually becoming a founding member of the Brooklyn Community Bail Fund.

This year I joined Blue Ridge Labs to learn how technology could contribute to eradicating systems of oppression. This experience has provided the tools, connections, and the people to create a new platform that serves returning citizens: Touchdown NYC.

600,000 people are released from state and federal prison every year. My hope for Touchdown NYC is to be able to connect with those returning to New York City, and build a national model within the next 2–3 years. If we can equip mentors who have successfully navigated reentry with accessible, digital tools, I believe we can help thousands of returning citizens achieve their goals in their first year back, and build a foundation for broader advocacy and political change.

I believe that returning citizens have the autonomy to control their own lives. I also believe that returning citizens have valuable insights. Their lived experiences and careers qualify them to be leaders in criminal justice and advocates for social change. I am a restorative justice practitioner and believe that punishment does not have to be punitive. I believe in connecting people with the resources they need to thrive without mandates. I am an abolitionist and I believe that oppressive systems should be abolished and reimagined.

Touchdown NYC is my reimagining.