A state audit found the New York Department of Corrections and Community Supervision has failed to adequately oversee a residential housing program designed to help people leaving prison transition back into their communities, raising concerns about safety, accountability, and the program’s effectiveness.
The audit by the Office of State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli examined the Community Based Residential Program, which provides temporary housing, food, employment counseling, and access to treatment and support services for people released from prison. Auditors found DOCCS lacks a formal process for identifying eligible participants, does not consistently inform incarcerated individuals about the program before release, and has not adequately evaluated whether the program is achieving its goal of reducing recidivism and supporting successful re-entry.
The report comes as nearly half of all individuals released from New York prisons in 2024 were considered undomiciled, meaning they lacked a fixed residence. Of the 4,443 people released without stable housing, more than half entered homeless shelters. Auditors said stable housing is critical to successful re-entry and found the residential program operates in only nine counties, leaving 53 counties without access to the service. As of late 2025, the program consisted of 12 locations with 149 beds and an annual budget of about $3.9 million.
Auditors also identified multiple health and safety issues during site visits. Problems included disabled smoke detectors, improperly stored cleaning chemicals, failure by two providers to serve the three daily meals required by contract, missing evacuation route postings, mold in bathrooms, exposed electrical outlets, and other maintenance concerns. In one review of 50 participant files, auditors found 71 instances where required documentation was missing or incomplete.
The audit found DOCCS stopped official reporting on program outcomes in 2022 because of software issues and has not resumed tracking results. Auditors concluded the agency cannot reliably determine whether the program is successful because it lacks consistent enrollment tracking, clear definitions of positive or negative outcomes, and accurate reporting systems. The report also found discrepancies between discharge records and agency tracking data.
DOCCS agreed with all six recommendations made by auditors, including creating a formal referral process, expanding analysis of counties that may need residential programs, improving inspections, standardizing outcome measurements, enhancing participant tracking, and resuming public reporting on program performance. Agency officials said they are developing a new directive and training program to address the issues identified in the audit.
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