NEW YORK — New York City’s Next Mile NYC Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) training program is now offering services to people in custody on Rikers Island. The announcement was made in late March by Deanna Logan, director of the NYC Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice (MOCJ), and Stanley Richards, commissioner of the NYC Department of Correction (DOC).
“Stable employment is one of the strongest predictors of success upon returning to community,” Logan said, adding that MOCJ has already seen 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,” she said.
“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,” Richards said. “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.”
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. The program is designed to create a direct pathway from incarceration to stable employment. According to NYC Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani’s office, three participants who began training while in custody at Rikers Island had received conditional job offers as of March 30, 2026.
“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,” Orchingwa continued. “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 the Next Mile NYC program launched in 2025, 266 participants have obtained Commercial Learner’s Permits and 99 have earned CDLs. In addition:
- 93 participants received job offers; 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 Rikers Island expansion launched in February 2026 at the Rose M. Singer Center Enhanced Supervised Housing (RESH) Annex. Additional sites are planned at the Eric M. Taylor Center and the Rose M. Singer Center.
According to a press release, Next Mile NYC addresses two critical challenges:
- Expanding access to economic opportunities for justice-involved New Yorkers; and
- Meeting workforce demand.
“Expanding Next Mile NYC to Rikers Island will create real pathways from incarceration to stable, well-paying jobs,” said NYC 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.”
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.
Linda Garner-Bunch has been with The Trucker since 2020, picking up the reins as managing editor in 2022. Linda has nearly 40 years of experience in the publishing industry, covering topics from the trucking and automotive industry to employment, real estate, home decor, crafts, cooking, weddings, high school sports — you name it, she’s written about it. She is also an experienced photographer, designer and copy editor who has a heartfelt love for the trucking industry, from the driver’s seat to the C-suite.
