FAQ
Hope House will serve people accused of a felony level crime and living with serious mental illness with or without a co-occurring substance use disorder. People convicted of a crime and already sentenced to prison are not eligible for Hope House. Hope House is a voluntary, Alternative to Incarceration (ATI) residential program open to defendants prior to trial or conviction.
Yes, Hope House will serve up to 8 women and 8 men at a time.
In addition to the requirements outline in FAQ#1, potential Hope House clients must be 18 years or older and live in one of the 5 New York City boroughs at the time of arrest to be eligible to enter Hope House. With respect to 4 beds, preference will be given to individuals living in the Bronx at the time of their arrest where a bed is available and more than one candidate is being considered, one of whom is a Bronx resident. This preference reflects the fact the Hope House on Crotona Park is located in Bronx, New York.
Individuals accused of sex offenses or who are actively exhibiting violent behavior are not eligible for admission to Hope House. People accused of misdemeanors only are also not eligible for Hope House. A violent felony charge does not automatically exclude an individual from admission. Each case will be examined on a case-by-case basis, but at no time will violence or the threat of violence be tolerated at Hope House. Violence or the threat of violence, are grounds for immediate expulsion from the program.
A Hope House resident must:
- be accused of at least one felony charge;
- have a serious mental illness with or without a co-occurring substance use disorder confirmed by a mental health assessment;
- be competent to stand trial, understand the nature of a Plea agreement, and voluntarily sign the Plea agreement with the advice and consent of an attorney and with permission of the Court and the Prosecutor; and
- voluntarily ask a Judge to set “nominal bail” as a condition of diversion to Hope House at the time of entering the Plea agreement.
Typically, up to 2 years.
While at Hope House, clients will receive 24-hour residential care. Mental health treatment will be offered Monday through Friday, available 9 am – 5 pm through a Continuing Day Treatment Program (CDTP) offered by Argus Community Inc., on the second floor of Hope House, including medication management and treatment for opioid addiction if necessary. Clients will also receive daily program instruction in life management skills through a work ordered day schedule in a modified therapeutic community setting.
While clients will be allowed to leave the premises with a peer or other staff, during the first 6 – 8 months of stay, a court may condition a participant’s release on their voluntary commitment to remain on the premises until staff are sure the client will not engage in activities that are harmful to themselves or others, such as frequenting high crime areas or engaging in other criminal activity, particularly activity harmful to recovery and treatment.
Hope House is not a private prison. Private prisons are illegal in New York State. In consultation with their defense attorney, a person may voluntarily decide to enter Hope House. If a client wishes to be discharged from the program, Hope House staff will make arrangements to return the client back to court for further proceedings pursuant to the client’s Plea Agreement.
No. Hope House on Crotona Park it a project of the Greenburger Center for Social and Criminal Justice, Inc., a 501c(3) not-for-profit. All staff will be privately hired and trained.
Clients will never be locked in a room and there are no cells on the premises. The City’s Building Department has reviewed and approved the fire escape plans for Hope House. Doors to the outside of the facility will be locked at all times, but emergency escape bars will be placed on all doors, allowing emergency egress in case of fire. Once pushed, the emergency release bar will unlock the door within 15 seconds, however, during a fire, the doors open automatically without a 15 second delay as per the NYC Building Department.
The Greenburger Center of Social and Criminal Justice, Inc., (GCSCJ) has partnered with Argus Community, Inc., to provide mental health treatment and substance use disorder recovery services. The Hope House treatment model will be based on Argus’ modified therapeutic community model. Residential services will be provided by the GCSCJ based on a work-ordered-day schedule inspired by the Fountain House clubhouse model.
Security staff will be on the premises 24 hours a day. A bond agent or someone with the ability to take a client into custody will be on call off-site to provide these services as necessary. Bond agents will be fully trained in Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training and only called if a client leaves the facility or acts in another manner in contravention of a court order and must be returned to court pursuant to the court order. In these circumstances, the goal would be to take the client into custody without resorting to issuance of a bench warrant by a court for arrest of the client by the police. Where the client becomes violent or threatens violence, security staff may find it necessary to contact the local Sheriff’s Department or police precinct to effectuate and arrest on-site and/or transport the client to court as necessary and proscribed by the court. Security staff will be fully trained to manage this population.
The judge with jurisdiction over the case will determine whether a client should be discharged from the program for failure to adhere to the terms of the Plea agreement, except in cases where the client is violent, threatens violence or presents an immediate danger of serious harm or injury to self or others. Where a client is violent, threatens violence or presents an immediate danger of serious harm or injury to self or others, the Program Director will determine whether the client must be discharged from the program and will notify the court within one business day of such decision. Where a client is discharged by the program director, discharge protocol will be followed to the maximum extent practicable, given any requirements or responsibilities placed on the client or Hope House per the court order.
