 Efforts by Margolis to help ex-prisoners rehabilitate included drug treatment and therapy while at Rikers, as well as continuing interaction after release.Margolis would take calls from former program participants at all hours of the day, often months after their release, and she would reach out to ensure that they had items such as ties that they might need for an interview.While 46% of the general population released from city prisons were back in jail within a year of release, the one-year recidivism rate for graduates of the Fresh Start program was 25%.