TESTIMONY
Amanda Granger, Senior Director of Communications at CASES on the Efficacy and Funding Needs of Alternatives to Incarceration Programs
6:18:13
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166 sec
Amanda Granger, representing CASES, advocates for enhanced funding and acknowledgment of the Alternatives to Incarceration (ATI) programs' successes, particularly the Nathaniel Assertive Community Treatment program.
- CASES focuses on alternatives to incarceration for New Yorkers with serious mental illness, benefiting nearly 10,000 low-income, black, and brown individuals annually.
- Highlights the success of the Nathaniel Assertive Community Treatment program as the first city ATI for those with serious mental illness and felony arrests, showing significant positive outcomes.
- Shares the transformative story of 'Michael', illustrating the program's ability to aid recovery and reintegration.
- Emphasizes that the program has achieved a 93% none reconviction rate among clients and a significant reduction in homelessness and psychiatric hospitalizations, demonstrating both social and fiscal benefits.
- Urges the council to fully fund the ATI reentry coalition initiative and restore cuts to related programs to ensure continued success and address increasing needs.
Amanda Granger
6:18:13
Good afternoon.
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I'm nursing committee members.
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My name is Amanda Granger.
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I'm the senior director of communications at cases.
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We're one of the leading providers of alternatives to incarceration in New York City.
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We're so honored to be here today with so many of our partners and allies.
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We specialize in working with people with serious mental illness and criminal legal system involvement.
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Every year, we provide hope and healing to almost 10,000 New Yorkers.
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The vast majority of them are low income black and brown people and over police and under resourced community.
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We are perhaps most well known for the Nathaniel Assertive Community Treatment or Nathaniel Act ATI Program.
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This is the city's first ATI for people living with serious mental illness who have a felony arrest.
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And through Nathaniel Act, participants are able access the treatment and support they need, which leads to healthier and safer communities for all of us.
6:19:06
I'd like to share this story of Michael, which is not his real name, but he's a recent Nathaniel Lac graduate who came to cases after being charged with a violent felony for an incident.
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Well, he was in a psych yak.
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Their crisis.
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As a child, Michael was adopted from the foster system.
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In school, he was bullied.
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And despite frequent panic attacks, he still managed to enroll in college.
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Unfortunately, he began drinking and using drugs as a coping mem coping mechanism eventually becoming homeless and dropping out.
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He soon began experiencing symptoms of serious mental illness, including disorganized thinking and hallucinations.
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Our Nathaniel Lapped ATI team worked with Michael for 3 years.
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They supported him to complete a substance use treatment program, obtain permanent housing, and find full time employment.
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Today, he enjoys concerts and cultural events.
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He designs his own clothing, and he has friends who love him for who he is.
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And he's committed to staying in treatment.
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Michael's success story is not unique.
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2 years after completing Nathaniel Act, 93% of clients have no new convictions.
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And a 100% have no new violent felony convictions.
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Participants achieve a 70% reduction and homelessness, and a 49% decrease in psychiatric hospitalizations.
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And given the cost of a stay at Rutgers or an inpatient facility, which we all know, Nathaniel Act has saved the city 1,000,000 of dollars.
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Nathaniel Act currently has a wait list, and with the wrecker's population growing, now is not the time to make new cut to ATI's reentry and supervised release programs.
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Cases asked as the council fully fund the ATI reentry coalition initiative request supporting programs like Nathaniel Act and that the city restore cuts to programs like our impact use mentoring program, which was cut by the Department of Probation.
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As well as fortune Osborn's work at Rykers.
6:20:59
Thank you