NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – Each year across the country, more than 600,000 people are released from federal and state prisons.
They face great obstacles with few resources, often leading to re-arrest.
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CBS2’s Aundrea Cline-Thomas has the story of a woman trying to change the future for former inmates, one person at a time.
For clients, the laughter that fills an apartment in Brooklyn was once a deep and distant longing.
That’s until a program, fittingly called “A Little Piece of Light,” made their peace a priority.
“To provide a safe space for those who have been impacted by abuse, trauma, violence and incarceration, and not necessarily in that order,” said Donna Hylton.
Those are problems Hylton knows all too well. Hylton, the founder, president and CEO of A Little Piece of Light, was abused as a child, and spent nearly 30 years in prison.
Her organization owns two safehouses in Brooklyn and Queens, and provides programs to women and the LGBTQ+ community, while also advocating for criminal justice reform.
“When you walk into the door of A Little Piece of Light, there are no expectations. We don’t expect anyone to come into there and know what they want or know what they need,” Hylton said.
Betsy Ramos and Joanna Jones were both released in October after spending 20 years each in prison.
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“My son had a phone for me. He gave me a phone. I said, ‘So what am I supposed to do with this.’ He said, ‘Oh, you make your phone calls.’ I said I don’t know how to do all of that,” Jones said.
The world had literally changed, and returning citizens get few tools to navigate the challenges.
According to the Prison Policy Initiative, formerly incarcerated people are almost 10 times more likely to be homeless than the general public, making re-arrests more likely. But most housing programs have long waiting lists.
A Little Piece of Light was able to find a place for Ramos – a big step in her healing.
“I struggle with being kinder to myself. I struggle with not looking over my shoulder. I struggle when I’m being defensive,” said Ramos.
“It felt good to finally exhale and have a door that opened. Cause I’ve been on my own since I was 15, kicked out because of my sexuality,” said Devante Perez.
Now, with a safe place to stay, and support, Perez is no longer in survival mode.
“Now I’m able to fully think things through thoroughly, and also think of consequences,” Perez said.
Hylton’s life serves as a blueprint as she offers people second chances with no judgment.
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A Little Piece of Light wants to expand housing options, but relies on grants and donations to maintain its services. For more information, CLICK HERE.