REMARKS
Council Member Adrienne E. Adams' remarks on Department of Corrections
1:58:15
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154 sec
Council Member Adrienne E. Adams welcomes new Department of Correction Commissioner, Lynelle McGidley, and emphasizes the need for a safer environment in city jails.
- Adams celebrates McGidley's appointment and discusses the Department of Correction’s fiscal year 2025 preliminary budget, which is significantly less than previous years.
- She voices concerns over the humanitarian crisis in city jails, including high rates of violence and unsanitary conditions.
- The council member calls for reforms to address staff management issues and improve detainees' safety and well-being.
- Adams underscores the council's commitment to closing Rikers Island as part of efforts to enhance public safety.
- She anticipates hearing about DOC's steps to address mental health, pre-trial and reentry services, and case processing delays.
Adrienne E. Adams
1:58:15
And as the chair just said, I would also like to congratulate you You are our new Department of Correction Commissioner, Lynelle McGidley, Liddy, on your new role, and welcome you to Council Chambers today.
1:58:28
I hope that under your leadership, the department will chart a course towards a safer environment on riders for both staff and detainees alike and that your team will be elaborative with stakeholders and oversight entities.
1:58:41
I look forward to hearing about your vision to change the current culture and practices to address the humanitarian crisis in our city jails.
1:58:50
We're going to examine the Department of Corrections $105,000,000,000 fiscal year 2025 preliminary budget, which is 100 and $20,700,000 less than the adopted fiscal year 2024 budget and 165 point $7,000,000 less than the current fiscal 2024 budget.
1:59:10
The Department of Correction has a critical responsibility to ensure the care and safety of the people in its care as the vast majority await trial and provide a path to 6 successful reentry into communities.
1:59:23
Yet, reports show that the DOC has been falling short of its core mission with high rates of violence against detainees, staff, unsanitary settings, inappropriate uses of force, staff management issues and more.
1:59:38
When conditions like this exist, jail staff are less safe AND TOO MANY PEOPLE IN CUSTODY ARE RELEASED IN A WORST CONDITION BY THE TIME THEY RETURN, LEAVE AND RETURN TO THEIR COMMUNITIES.
1:59:50
This cycle of harm does not serve our city or its residents and undermines public safety.
1:59:56
Last fall, I called for the reappointment of the Independent Rikers Commission to help get the plan to close Rikers on track and improve public safety in our city.
2:00:06
The goal to make this a reality as mandated by law remains as urgent and critical as ever.
2:00:12
And a mission this council is still committed to.
2:00:17
It requires active steps by the administration to address mental health diversion and treatment pre trial and reentry services, and case processing delays with stakeholders across the criminal legal system while fulfilling the dozens of obligation that are part of the points of agreement to close rikers.
2:00:36
The delays and lack of attention to these necessary steps must be resolved and I look forward to hearing about the steps that the DOC is taking to remedy this.
2:00:45
Thank you very much for being here once again, and I turn it back over to our chair.