Mamdani administration expands commercial driver’s license training and career support to thousands of New Yorkers under community supervision
Program advances public safety, reduces recidivism and strengthens New York City’s economy by investing in opportunity instead of incarceration
Next Mile NYC has connected nearly 200 justice-involved New Yorkers to full-time job offers with starting salaries exceeding $70,000
NEW YORK – Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani, Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice (MOCJ) Director Deanna Logan and Department of Probation (DOP) Commissioner Sharun Goodwin today announced the expansion of the City’s successful Next Mile NYC Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) training program to eligible New Yorkers on probation.
The expansion creates a direct pathway from community supervision to stable, family-sustaining careers in the commercial trucking industry. The new partnership extends Next Mile NYC to more than 11,000 New Yorkers currently under DOP supervision across the five boroughs, building on the program’s success serving justice-involved New Yorkers in the community and its March 2026 expansion to people in custody on Rikers Island.
“Public safety is built by creating the conditions that allow people to establish stable lives,” said Mayor Mamdani. “Expanding Next Mile NYC means thousands more New Yorkers on probation will have access to good-paying jobs, a pathway to long-term stability and the chance to provide for their families. When we invest in opportunity, we reduce recidivism, strengthen our economy and make our city safer for all.”
“Next Mile NYC is how our city invests in gainful careers that support public safety,” said Deanna Logan, Director of the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice. “By expanding this program to New Yorkers under community supervision, we are creating more pathways to financial stability, while removing a significant barrier from individuals returning to their community.”
“Expanding Next Mile NYC ensures more New Yorkers have the chance to gain valuable skills, secure stable employment, and successfully reintegrate into their communities. That is how we build safer neighborhoods and stronger futures,” said Sharun Goodwin, Commissioner of the NYC Department of Probation. “Every person deserves the opportunity to write a new chapter. At the Department of Probation, we see the potential in the people we serve every day, and we know that access to meaningful employment can change the trajectory of a life.”
Through workforce development organization Emerge Career, participants complete a 40-hour online CDL training course, earn their Commercial Learner’s Permits (CLPs), receive behind-the-wheel instruction and take the New York State CDL road test. Graduates also receive job placement support connecting them with employers offering salaries ranging from $70,000 to $125,000.
Since launching in 2025, Next Mile NYC has delivered measurable, life-changing results:
- 306 participants have earned CLPs and 187 have obtained CDLs.
- 111 participants have secured full-time employment, earning an average salary of $73,573 and a median salary of $75,000. Another 74 graduates have pending job offers.
- Zero participants have reported being rearrested.
- 94% of participants who completed behind-the-wheel training earned a CDL.
- 97% of participants who earned a CDL received a job offer within six months.
The expansion reflects Mayor Mamdani’s commitment to creating economic opportunity for justice-involved New Yorkers while meeting the City’s workforce needs. Reaching people while they are on probation gives them access to stable employment at a critical moment, helping them successfully complete community supervision, support their families and avoid future involvement with the criminal legal system.
In March 2026, the Mayor announced the expansion of Next Mile NYC in partnership with the Department of Correction, allowing eligible people on Rikers Island to begin online coursework while in custody before transitioning to behind-the-wheel instruction, licensing and job placement after release. Since that expansion, 66 people have enrolled in the program and 22 have successfully completed the online training.
“We are thrilled to expand our existing partnership with MOCJ and DOC to bring real, tangible second chances — rooted in careers, not just credentials — to New Yorkers on probation,” 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 deliver outcomes.”
Formerly incarcerated people face persistently high unemployment, while industries such as trucking continue to significant workforce shortages. At the same time, research shows that access to stable employment is one of the strongest predictors of successful reentry and reduced recidivism.
By connecting New Yorkers to careers that provide immediate, family-sustaining wages, Next Mile NYC is helping break the cycle of incarceration, strengthening the city’s workforce and making neighborhoods safer.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How do MOCJ programs keep communities safe?
By addressing the issues that fuel criminal behavior, such as poor mental health and financial insecurity, we reduce the likelihood of re-offense and related harms against communities.
What are transition services?
Transition services help individuals with criminal justice contact adjust back into community by giving them the tools to live productive and stable lives. Access to supportive services lowers the likelihood that an individual will reoffend.
What is Next Mile NYC?
Next Mile NYC is a free workforce development program that helps justice-involved and housing-insecure New Yorkers prepare for careers in commercial trucking. Participants receive Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) training, one-on-one career coaching, supportive services, and connections to employers hiring for full-time driving jobs.
Who is eligible to apply?
To be eligible, applicants must:
- Be at least 18 years old.
- Live in one of New York City’s five boroughs.
- Have a history of involvement with the criminal justice system.
- Be authorized to work in the United States.
- Hold a valid driver’s license.
- Be unemployed or underemployed and meet the program’s income guidelines.
How does the training work?
The program begins with approximately 40 hours of self-paced online learning to prepare for the Commercial Learner’s Permit (CLP) exam. After earning the permit, participants complete about 120 hours of in-person driving instruction over 4–6 weeks before taking the CDL exam. Throughout the program, participants receive personalized coaching and ongoing support.
What support is available while I’m in the program?
Next Mile NYC provides wraparound services designed to help participants succeed. Depending on individual needs, support may include transportation assistance, childcare, financial help with eligible fines or fees, career coaching, and job placement services.
What happens after I earn my CDL?
Graduates are connected with vetted employers offering full-time commercial driving positions. The program is designed to help participants transition directly into employment, with continued support during the job placement process.
About Next Mile NYC
Next Mile NYC is a public-private partnership between the NYC Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice (MOCJ) and Emerge Career. The program delivers tuition-free CDL training and direct job placement to justice-impacted New Yorkers in-community, in custody, and under community supervision.
About the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice: MOCJ is New York City’s engine for creating a smaller, safer, and fairer criminal justice system. The agency works to reduce crime and incarceration through innovative solutions to public safety challenges, including vital programs that improve lives, generate community stability, and increase access to the support needed to maintain healthy and safe New York City neighborhoods. Recognizing that public safety cannot be achieved by law enforcement alone, MOCJ moves New York City forward by collaborating with community and institutional stakeholders to improve efficiency, accountability, and fairness in the justice system. For more information, please visit nyc.gov/mocj.
About Emerge Career
Emerge Career is a national workforce training company that partners with state and local governments, corrections agencies, and probation departments to deliver Commercial Driver’s Licenses and skilled trades pathways for justice-impacted Americans. Emerge’s tech-enabled model has placed graduates into careers paying an average of $80,000+, with completion and placement rates that consistently outperform traditional workforce programs. Learn more at emergecareer.com.