New York City Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani, Mayor's Office of Criminal Justice (MOCJ) Director Deanna Logan and Department of Correction (DOC) Commissioner Stanley Richards today announced the expansion of the City's successful "Next Mile NYC" Commercial Driver's License (CDL) training program to people in custody on Rikers Island.
Through a partnership with Emerge Career, eligible participants will begin a 40-hour online training while in custody and complete hands-on instruction and testing after release, creating a direct pathway from incarceration to stable employment. Three participants who began training while in custody have already received conditional job offers.
"Expanding Next Mile NYC to Rikers Island will create real pathways from incarceration to stable, well-paying jobs," said Mayor Mamdani. "This effort reflects our administration's belief that public safety comes from opportunity and investment in people - not just incarceration -while restoring dignity through meaningful work and building a safer, more just city."
"Stable employment is one of the strongest predictors of success upon returning to community," said MOCJ Director Deanna Logan. "We already see positive impact from Next Mile NYC. By equipping participants with in-demand skills and connecting them directly to employers, individuals are exiting cycles of incarceration and returning to neighborhoods with a stronger workforce foundation that results in safer communities across New York City."
"Our goal is to invest in the people who come to us so they return to their communities with the support and opportunities they need to succeed," said New York City Department of Correction Commissioner Stanley Richards. "Returning home after time away can be challenging, but when individuals have a plan, a clear pathway, and - most importantly - hope for a better future, they are empowered not just to move forward, but to truly flourish."
"We are thrilled to partner with NYC DOC and MOCJ to bring real, tangible second chances - rooted in careers, not just credentials - to incarcerated individuals at Rikers Island," said Zo Orchingwa, co-founder and co-CEO of Emerge Career. "Our vision is to harness technology to open pathways to skilled trades careers that begin before release, not just after. This isn't a checkbox initiative or training that leads nowhere. Next Mile NYC is a real jobs and reentry program, built to change lives and change outcomes."
The expansion includes a $2.9 million investment in Fiscal Year 2026 and will serve up to 290 additional participants, building on a 2025 pilot that served 20 people.
Since launching in 2025, the program has delivered strong early outcomes: 266 participants earned Commercial Learner's Permits and 99 obtained CDLs.
- 93 participants received job offers and 64 secured full-time employment, with an average salary of $90,200.
- No participants have reported being rearrested. All participants who completed driving training obtained a CDL and received a job offer within six months.
The expansion launched in February 2026 at the Rose M. Singer Center Enhanced Supervised Housing (RESH) Annex, with additional sites planned at the Eric M. Taylor Center and the Rose M. Singer Center.
Next Mile NYC addresses two critical challenges: expanding access to economic opportunity for justice-involved New Yorkers and meeting workforce demand. By connecting New Yorkers to stable, high-paying careers before they leave custody, the program reduces recidivism and strengthens public safety.
According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, formerly incarcerated people face persistently high unemployment - more than 13 times the national unemployment rate - while industries like trucking face major worker shortages.
MOCJ - through its Community Innovations team - uses data to guide its programming and outreach. Research shows that limited access to employment and vocational training are major drivers of incarceration and recidivism. Programs like Next Mile NYC are designed to break that cycle by connecting participants to careers that provide immediate, family-sustaining wages.
Next Mile NYC builds on a broader set of education and workforce programs on Rikers Island, including high school equivalency and college-level courses, horticulture, barbering, barista, cosmetology, culinary arts, food handling, and OSHA training.
B-roll video available upon request from the New York City Department of Correction.
