Dozens of people are gathering in downtown Albany for the Alliance of Families for Justice conference this weekend, to discuss the impact of mass incarceration on families and communities. It's the concluding event to six regional discussions about the issue across New York over the last two years.

People who've been impacted by jails and prisons personally, as well as those who work with families of those incarcerated, all shared ideas about some of the issues of re-integrating into society, after being locked up on Saturday during the discussion about re-entry. Organizers say having this conversation is crucial to making change.

"Let's be creative. Let's start working and figuring this out," said one person during the discussion.

"Being incarcerated impacts people in a major way; it impacts the individual as well as the families," said Barbara Barron, a pre-trial case manager.

This is why people who've been affected, along with other advocates, are coming together to help try to change that impact. Barron says people incarcerated who are trying to reintegrate into society face many issues.

"Employment, housing, and mental health services — those seem to be the three major things really impacting our communities as a whole," Barron said.

"The re-entry process should be, 'OK, well here's a group that you go to and then here's a therapist for your family,' and of course, without charge because finances are tough," said another person during the discussion.

Hiijuane Daniels, of Albany, was released from prison a couple of years ago and says the path to re-entry isn't an easy one, but it is possible. 

"A lot of focus and it takes a lot of support," Daniels said. "It's not easy coming home from prison trying to readjust to a lot of a fast-paced life ... you gotta sit yourself down and understand that you gotta move at your own pace."

Daniels said he was fortunate to have support when he got out and now he's working on creating a TV series based on not only his experience in prison, but some of the issues in communities across the country that land people there. He says his experience isn't unique.

"I feel like it's really designed to set us up to continue to go back in the system. It doesn't help us with our re-entry, we kind of gotta fend for ourselves out here," Daniels said.

And Barron says having discussions like the ones this weekend, hearing from people impacted, are key in identifying how to change the system.

"What do we have in place to help those individuals? We can't fix the problem if you have no remedy for the problem," Barron said.

One interesting topic that came up is how bail reform could play into all of this. Starting Jan. 1, 2020, people who are arrested on many charges and can't afford bail will no longer have to sit in jail pre-trial. 

Barron says that could potentially help some of the financial and mental health burdens but there needs to be additional programs in place too.