A Personal Journey Opens Doors for Many

Serena Martin knows firsthand the obstacles facing women returning home from incarceration. She lived them. From the stigma of a criminal record to the struggle of securing housing, employment, and childcare, every step forward was met with systemic barriers. But instead of being defined by those challenges, she turned them into a foundation for change.

While serving her sentence at Bedford Hills Correctional Facility, Martin took a decisive step: she enrolled in college courses. She earned her associate degree behind bars, proving to herself and others that education could be a bridge to a different future. When she was released, she enrolled in Adelphi University’s Adult Baccalaureate Learning Experience (ABLE) program—an initiative tailored to nontraditional students balancing work, family, and second chances.

For Martin, education was more than a credential. It was the process of rebuilding confidence, reclaiming identity, and restoring belief in what was possible. That shift in self-perception laid the foundation for her leadership role today.

Now, as executive director of New Hour for Women and Children—LI, Martin helps thousands of women navigate the very path she once walked. She embodies how higher education and advocacy can intersect to create not only personal transformation but community-wide impact.

Building New Foundations for Women and Mothers

When Martin and her colleagues launched New Hour in 2015, they identified a glaring gap: most reentry services were designed for men, leaving women—especially mothers—without tailored support. Yet women face unique challenges upon release, from reuniting with children to managing the trauma of incarceration.

New Hour was created to meet those needs with gender-responsive, trauma-informed care. Its programs provide:

  • Immediate post-release pickup from local jails, ensuring women are not left vulnerable at release.
  • Access to food, clothing, hygiene products, and shelter, covering the most urgent needs.
  • Case management and job readiness support, helping women reenter the workforce.
  • Mental health referrals and peer mentorship, addressing both trauma and ongoing personal development.
  • Leadership training, so that women move from recipients of services to advocates shaping policy.

To date, New Hour has supported more than 12,000 women across Nassau and Suffolk counties. For many, the organization is the first place where they feel seen not as a case number, but as mothers, daughters, and community members with potential.

Education Meets Employment: A Health Career Pipeline

Economic stability is one of the biggest factors in successful reentry. Without reliable work, women are far more likely to cycle back into poverty or the criminal justice system. Recognizing this, New Hour partnered with Adelphi University to create a health career pipeline tailored to formerly incarcerated women.

Backed by a $100,000 grant from M&T Bank’s Amplify Fund, the program provides:

  • Certificate training in healthcare fields such as home health aide, nurse assistant, and EKG technician.
  • Career counseling, résumé coaching, and interview preparation, equipping women to compete in the job market.
  • Wraparound support including childcare, housing assistance, and transportation help, reducing barriers to program completion.

Healthcare was chosen strategically. It is one of the fastest-growing sectors on Long Island, with jobs that offer benefits, stability, and pathways for advancement. For women who may have been locked out of opportunity, this program provides not just employment, but careers that can sustain families.

From Services to Systems Change

What makes New Hour particularly powerful is that it doesn’t stop at services. It aims to change the very systems that perpetuate inequality.

Under Martin’s leadership, the organization has been at the forefront of legislative advocacy. Its policy wins include:

  • Ending the practice of shackling pregnant women during labor and delivery.
  • Protecting the parental rights of incarcerated mothers, ensuring they do not lose custody solely because of incarceration.
  • Expanding access to nursery programs and reproductive care inside correctional facilities.

In 2024, New Hour partnered with Cornell University’s Public Policy Advocacy Clinic to draft legislation strengthening prenatal and postnatal care protections for incarcerated individuals. The bill was introduced in the New York State Assembly, demonstrating the shift from individual advocacy to collective systems change.

This dual model—meeting immediate needs while pushing for structural reform—makes New Hour a blueprint for reentry work across the country.

Praxis Perspective: Strategy, Story, and Justice in Action

At Praxis, we see this partnership between Adelphi and New Hour as a compelling case study in the power of narrative. Serena Martin’s story is deeply personal, but it is also strategic—it connects education, justice reform, and workforce development in ways that resonate with diverse audiences.

  • For media, it’s a story that challenges stereotypes about incarceration and highlights resilience.
  • For philanthropy, it demonstrates how targeted investment can yield measurable outcomes in employment, education, and community health.
  • For policymakers, it underscores the need to center the voices of formerly incarcerated women in legislative reform.

This is more than a story of charity. It is about equity, opportunity, and justice. It illustrates how institutions and grassroots organizations can partner to deliver meaningful change when they invest in both people and systems.

Why This Work Matters

The challenges facing formerly incarcerated women are significant: unstable housing, limited job opportunities, stigma, and the trauma of separation from family. Without targeted support, many fall through the cracks. But programs like those at Adelphi and New Hour prove that with the right resources, women can thrive.

Education builds confidence. Employment provides stability. Advocacy ensures change reaches beyond the individual to the system. Together, these pillars create a foundation for long-term success—not only for the women served but for their families and communities.

As Serena Martin’s journey shows, redemption is not just personal. It is collective. Each woman who finds stability contributes to a stronger, healthier Long Island. Each policy reform reshapes conditions for the next generation. Each success story chips away at stigma and makes room for possibility.

Want to learn more about how this initiative is making waves? Read the full Newsday article here to see how Adelphi University and New Hour are transforming lives through education, career support, and advocacy.

FAQ

What challenges do formerly incarcerated women face when reentering society?

They often struggle with housing, employment, childcare, stigma, and trauma, making targeted support crucial for successful reentry.

How does Adelphi University support reentry for women?

Through its ABLE program and a new health career pipeline, Adelphi provides flexible education and job training tailored to nontraditional students.

What services does New Hour provide to women after incarceration?

New Hour offers post-release support, housing and job readiness help, mentorship, mental health referrals, and leadership training.

How does the health career pipeline help women build stability?

It provides certificates in healthcare fields, career coaching, and wraparound support—opening doors to stable, growing careers on Long Island.

What policy changes has New Hour helped achieve?

Wins include ending shackling during labor, protecting parental rights, expanding nursery programs, and advocating for reproductive healthcare in prisons.