TESTIMONY
Christopher Jeffries, Youth Advocate at Bronx Connect, on the High Costs and Ineffectiveness of Incarceration vs. Alternative to Incarceration Programs
5:28:49
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162 sec
Christopher Jeffries shares his firsthand account on how alternative to incarceration programs, like those at Bronx Connect, outperform traditional incarceration in terms of cost and effectiveness.
- Jeffries contrasts the expensive and ineffective nature of incarceration without rehabilitative services with the success of programs like Bronx Connect.
- As a former inmate and juvenile detention facility worker, Jeffries highlights the lack of education, resources, and safety in these settings.
- He emphasizes the success of Bronx Connect, mentioning a 97% success rate in preventing recidivism among participants.
- Criticizes budget cuts to alternative programs in favor of expanding incarceration, calling such actions negligent and tyrannical.
Christopher Jeffries
5:28:49
Good afternoon, chair and counsel.
5:28:50
Thank you for having me here.
5:28:51
My name is Christopher Jeffries, and I'm a youth advocate at Bronx Connect.
5:28:56
Which is a turning up to incarceration.
5:28:58
As you can see, I didn't have I don't have any numbers printed out.
5:29:01
I wanted to speak from the heart today because I have a unique experience So I'm impacted by being alright because I was in an upstate prison.
5:29:12
Also, I have experience of working inside of juvenile detention for ACS at Crossroads Detention Facility in Brooklyn.
5:29:20
And like I stated now, currently, I am in the field of ATI's.
5:29:25
So I can see the the difference works with ATI.
5:29:32
It's more effective, it's more cost effective.
5:29:35
When I was a prisoner on Rickles Island, I was getting well, the state the city was was costing them over $500,000 to house me.
5:29:48
But that 500,000 didn't benefit me at all.
5:29:50
I didn't get any rehabilitative services.
5:29:53
I didn't learn any new skills.
5:29:54
I didn't get any mental health check ins, any anything like that.
5:30:00
And the same thing with my time, and as a youth development specialist, at Crossroads, juvenile detention.
5:30:07
They don't get they barely get schooling.
5:30:11
They don't have any resources.
5:30:14
They they the food is bad.
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The living conditions are bad.
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It's violent.
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It's unsafe for staff.
5:30:22
But as a use advocate for Bronx Connect, I see the success to our participants.
5:30:31
I see them getting resources.
5:30:34
I see them getting job opportunities.
5:30:36
I see them taking places in our youth council where they get to learn about politics and how things work.
5:30:43
I see them qualifying for grants.
5:30:46
I see them not returning to jail after they complete the program.
5:30:52
Bronx Connect has a 97% chance of the participants not coming back.
5:30:59
That's way better than and each gal that I've been in all worked for.
5:31:06
And when people go to these situations, and they come out unrehabilitated, they're subjected to go back.
5:31:13
So when the mayor are making cuts when the when the mayor is making cuts to programs, they that can directly solve these issues in favor of more gels.
5:31:24
In my opinion, it it just shows gross negligence and it comes off as terrannical.
5:31:30
Thank you.
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David Long, Executive Director of Liberty Fund, on Seeking City Council Funding for Justice Reform Programs
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Jay Edidin, Director of Advocacy at the Women's Community Justice Association, on Budget Impacts and Over-Incarceration of Women and Gender Expansive Individuals at Rikers Island
