GOSO targets New York City’s Rikers Island population by focusing not only on recidivism but also on post-incarceration employment. GOSO serves court-involved youth from all five boroughs who have been incarcerated on Rikers Island and/or upstate prison facilities or are referred to GOSO through the Departments of Probation and Parole or community organizations.
Once released, most participants enroll in the community-based program in East Harlem where they receive supportive counseling and wrap-around services while continuing to work towards educational and/orvocational credentials and employment.
One of GOSO’s most successful programs, GOSOWorks, includes direct collaborations with employers to enable successful paid internships and job placements. GOSOWorks includes a two-week job-readiness curriculum including one-on-one interview skills with Goldman Sachs and mock interviews. Eighty-five percent of GOSO participants stay out of prison or jail and 70% of GOSO participants who are placed in subsidized GOSOWorks internships achieve full-time employment upon completion.