Suffolk Sheriff Opens New Resource Center To Help Former Inmates Reenter Society

PORT JEFFERSON, NY — A satellite location for the Suffolk Sheriff's Transition and Reentry Team Resource Center was launched at the Axis Church Community Center in Port Jefferson on Tuesday.

The START Center's program, which was started in 2020 in Wyandanch, ensure people reentering the community have the tools and resources they need to live productive lives, officials said.

The new location will mirror the services of the original center, offering connections to resources for mental and drug abuse, services for victims of domestic violence and human trafficking, as well as assistance with obtaining documentation and employment, food, and clothing.

The services are free for former inmates living in Suffolk — regardless of where and when they were incarcerated — as well as for their family members.

The START Center's program has seen "tremendous results" with recidivism rates for participants coming in at nearly half of the state's average and has become a nation-wide model for reentry services, according to officials.

Eighty-five percent of the county's incarcerated remain in Suffolk, Sheriff Errol Toulon's office said.

Toulon was joined by church officials, business, school district, and community leaders, as well as representatives from partners including the Department of Labor, EAC Network, ECLI-Vibes, and New Hour.

"Keeping the county's streets safe and free of crime starts with giving formerly incarcerated men and women returning to our county the services they need to be productive members of our communities," Toulon said. "The START Resource Center aims to break the barriers typically associated with reentry to put these individuals on a path to success."

He hopes the additional location will reach more "justice-involved individuals."

For more information about the START Resource Center, go to www.suffolksheriff.com.