Over 300 Attendees Participated in Justice in Motion, Featuring Job Opportunities & Resources for Justice-Impacted New Yorkers; Expert Discussions on Reentry, Public Health, Housing & Community Safety
Event Included Interactive Simulation Highlighting Barriers New Yorkers with Justice History Face Securing Permanent Housing, Navigating Services & Avoiding Rearrest
NEW YORK – The New York City Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice (MOCJ) today hosted its third Justice in Motion Job Fair & Symposium, bringing together more than 300 attendees for a day focused on strengthening public safety in New York City by lowering crime and incarceration through investments in diversion, reentry services, public health, employment opportunities, housing, and peer support.
Photos from 2026 Justice in Motion event available here
“Justice in Motion is about helping New Yorkers move forward — from instability to stability, from isolation to support, from system involvement to opportunity, and from survival to success,” said Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice Director Deanna Logan. “Public safety cannot be achieved through enforcement alone. It starts with building the systems and supports that help people succeed — including housing, employment, treatment, peer mentorship, and a real path forward. When we connect justice-involved New Yorkers to those supports, we are not only changing individual lives; we are building a safer and fairer New York City.”
The event, held at the Staten Island FerryHawks’ stadium in Staten Island University Hospital Community Park, featured a symposium with expert speakers on innovative public safety initiatives to address pressing challenges in New York City neighborhoods, including mental health, housing, peer support, and successful community reentry.
Panel discussions included:
- “One Team, One Dream,” focused on supporting people with substance use disorders and mental health challenges;
- “Playing Through: Lived Experience on the Field,” focused on the role of peers and people with lived experience in helping others navigate a better path;
- “No Place Like Home Plate: Bridging Housing Disparities,” which included an interactive housing reentry simulation.
The housing simulation was designed by MOCJ staff to give participants a firsthand look at the challenges New Yorkers face when re-entering the community after incarceration. It highlighted that housing instability can make it harder for people to show up to work, attend court dates, stay connected to treatment, and avoid rearrest.
More than 170 New Yorkers attended the job fair, connecting with nearly two dozen employers and service providers offering jobs, training programs, and career resources. The hiring hall resulted in nearly 500 jobseeker engagements, five interviews conducted on-site, six conditional job offers extended, and a 98% satisfaction rate by attendees, according to an exit survey conducted by the New York City Department of Small Business Services. Jobseekers were also able to use the New York City Housing Authority’s Digital Van — a mobile computer lab equipped with workstations and Wi-Fi — to edit or print resumes or access career resources and government services online.
This year’s event also featured performances by winners of MOCJ’s “Next Verse: Voices for Change” poetry contest and a performance by Music on the Inside — an organization that connects justice-impacted youth and adults with professional musicians as teachers and mentors — underscoring the role of art in healing and change.
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 criminal legal system. For more information, please visit nyc.gov/mocj.