QUESTION
How is prosecutorial discretion contributing to the increase in youth incarceration rates?
2:01:05
·
142 sec
Council Member Lincoln Restler discusses the significant rise in youth incarceration rates and the influence of prosecutorial discretion under the Adams administration.
- The number of youth in detention has doubled since the mayor's office transition, with a 30% increase year over year.
- The average length of stay in detention facilities has increased by 16%.
- Detention facilities are overcrowded, leading to youths sleeping in classrooms.
- The law department's prosecutorial decisions are questioned for their role in these increases.
- Restler inquires about the reasons behind a 44% increase in felony arrests among youth year over year.
Lincoln Restler
2:01:05
The number of youth and detention, as I mentioned in my opening statement has doubled since the mayor came into office, and it increased 30% year over year according to the PMMR.
2:01:15
Average length of stay is also up by 16% year over year.
2:01:18
The doubling of youth in jail has literally packed our detention facilities to such an stand the kids are regularly sleeping in classrooms.
2:01:26
The law department serves as the prosecutors in many of these cases that potentially place kids in jail.
2:01:32
I wanna focus on prosecutorial discretion and what is the result of deliberate policy choices by the Adams administration that is driving this increase in youth incarceration.
2:01:44
We've seen have you conducted a review about what's driving the team's decisions that are contributing to this 44% increase in felony arrests year over year?
Judge Sylvia Hinds-Radix
2:01:56
I actually I think believe last week we had a we had a discussion with and yesterday a discussion with our family court division Everybody is is is and I I know it's pretty much aware of the fact that there has been a significant spike in in violence amongst youth in in our city.
2:02:19
That has been a focus for us to try to make sure that we try to get these young people out of that pipeline.
2:02:29
The the we are although we are a prosecutorial the prosecutorial arm for the city, our cases are referred from probation department unlike unlike how they go to the the district attorney's office and the district attorney's office has has a a a different process.
2:02:51
Ours are are referred from the probation department.
2:02:55
And in our in our and if if you would look at, you'll see the the prop the what we have been looking at, we've been we've been seeing many more felonies announced these young these young people.
2:03:08
And we have been we evaluate these cases in a case by case basis.
2:03:14
Our our our direction isn't from an administration.
2:03:18
It it it it is from what we have before us.
2:03:22
And the legal strategies and requirements that we have to take.