QUESTION
What considerations inform prosecutorial decisions regarding youth felony charges and detention facilities in NYC?
2:06:13
·
151 sec
The NYC Law Department considers a holistic approach in making prosecutorial decisions, taking into account various factors such as the capacity of detention facilities and the overall situation of youth criminal cases.
- The Law Department evaluates multiple aspects when deciding on youth felony charges and placement in detention facilities.
- The capacity and conditions of ACS juvenile detention facilities are part of the considerations for prosecutorial decisions.
- The speaker was not aware of specific reports regarding children sleeping on floors in detention facilities.
- There is a call for leadership to prioritize diversion programs and alternatives to incarceration for youth offenders.
Lincoln Restler
2:06:13
But in your testimony today, the year over year increase in gun in in in in gun cases, firearms cases that were referred to the family court division increased by 8% from in that same period, the number of youth felony arrests increased by 44%.
2:06:30
So we're seeing something that's much larger happening your decision, the law department's decisions, to charge these young people with felonies, means that they're being sent to the juvenile detention facility that cannot accommodate them.
2:06:43
And so we need your help in leadership in helping to reverse this deeply problematic trend.
2:06:49
I do wanna ask specifically to the unacceptable conditions in the ACS juvenile detention facilities that cannot fit more young people.
2:06:58
Does that is that something that you all consider in making your prosecutorial decisions?
Judge Sylvia Hinds-Radix
2:07:06
I'd be I was reading
Michael J.Ryan
2:07:07
no.
Lincoln Restler
2:07:07
You're fine.
2:07:08
I I mean, I was just I'm the the point I was making on the data was 8% increase in gun charges year over year, 44% increase in youth valley arrest.
2:07:17
And the gun charge increase is deeply concerning, and we definitely have a lot of work to do together about it.
2:07:22
The way to address it is to invest in the Department of Probation Programs that the Mayor and the DLP Commissioner have cut.
2:07:27
That aside, I I wanna ask specifically The ACS facilities are overcapacity.
2:07:33
People are sleeping.
2:07:34
Kids are sleeping in classrooms in unsafe conditions.
2:07:38
Do those realities, do those unacceptable conditions inform your prospectorial decisions to pursue felony charges and to send these kids to facilities that can accommodate them.
Judge Sylvia Hinds-Radix
2:07:49
Well, I I it we we as we we look at what are in our prosecutorial position, we look at a holistic approach.
2:08:00
There's not one one thing that we look at and not the other.
2:08:04
So all all of these things will be taken into consideration erosion.
2:08:08
I and and council member, I just I have to go with your information that that kids are sleeping on and on the floors.
2:08:15
That is not something that I I am aware of.
Lincoln Restler
2:08:19
It's been widely reported in the press.
2:08:20
At this point, we understand that the mayor and his team planning to spend many tens of 1,000,000 of dollars to expand the size of our jails for kids so that we're incarcerating more youth.
2:08:30
I just I think that there's an opportunity for with leadership from the law department to be prioritizing diversion and creating opportunities to get our young people on the right track, not just sending them away to jail.
2:08:39
And unfortunately, that's what's been happening.
2:08:42
We've seen a doubling of the number of kids in jail.