TESTIMONY
David Long, Executive Director of Liberty Fund, on Seeking City Council Funding for Justice Reform Programs
5:25:41
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3 min
David Long details the Liberty Fund's need for New York City Council funding to support its justice reform efforts and public safety initiatives.
- Outlines the Liberty Fund's mission to decrease the pretrial jail population and prevent the destabilization of the lives of New York's poorest.
- Highlights Liberty Fund's achievements since 2016, including providing personalized services, facilitating $5.1 million in cost savings, and maintaining an 88% court appearance rate among clients.
- Describes the organization's unique features, such as voluntary, non-mandated services, and court-based interventions.
- Emphasizes the impact of the City Council's funding on enhancing the program's capacity to aid more individuals and contribute to justice reform efforts in the city.
David Long
5:25:41
Good afternoon.
5:25:43
Council member nurse and staff.
5:25:45
Thank you for allowing me to testify today.
5:25:47
My name is David Long.
5:25:48
I'm the Executive Director of the Liberty Fund.
5:25:50
This testimony will outline our programming, how funding from the New York City Council can continue to enable our justice reform work, while also ensuring public safety in the city.
5:26:00
Since 2016, the Liberty Fund has successfully provided person set of services and access to resources for the pre trial jail population using our court based approach.
5:26:10
As part of Libby Fund's model, our team addresses critical needs helping clients meet their court requirements while connecting them to the best fit services, especially in housing and workforce development.
5:26:20
Liberty Fund's mission is to reduce the pretrial jail population in order to prevent the poorest New Yorkers from having their lives upended and their freedom sacrificed.
5:26:28
Our goal is to provide support in order to provide in order to avoid future interactions with the criminal justice system.
5:26:34
We achieve our mission by providing pretrial services including bail and robust case management to any qualifying bail or ROR released on recognizant's client throughout dependency of their court case.
5:26:45
The Liberty Fund is an independent 501c3 organization originally established in 2016 in partnership with the New York City Council and the Dole Fund, New York's New York City's leading agency in reducing recidivism and homelessness through so social enterprise coupled with transitional housing and supportive services, including workforce development.
5:27:04
Over the past 8 years, the Liberty Faunus helped 1500 over 1500 clients access community based services prevented 7000 days of detention and facilitated an annual cost savings of $5,100,000 on Citi's suspending and achieved an 88% court client court appearance rate.
5:27:23
More specifically, the last 4 years, Our cutting edge ROR case management program has served over 325 people in need of critical pretrial services, conducted over 12,000 quote reminder and wellness calls, sent over 65100 client updates to assigned attorneys, made 428 referrals to community based organizations and providers, and maintained an 88% client court appearance rate.
5:27:48
Liberty Fund will provide our unique ROI case management program to approximately 250 unique individuals during the FY 2025 contract year, approximately 20 cases per year.
5:27:59
We'll achieve this target through our former referral partnerships with key defense agencies.
5:28:04
Our model has 4 innovative features for impact.
5:28:07
It's pre trial innovations are initiated at the most critical touch points of success.
5:28:11
It's voluntary with non mandated services, which ensure no additional restrictions are placed on clients to prevent further net widening as they stabilize their lives.
5:28:20
Its person centered services determined by the client to better meet to best meet their individual needs, promote personal personal agency, and connect to best fit services, and it's court based.
5:28:30
Low low touch interventions, leverage earned court appointments for effective time usage.
5:28:35
In conclusion, I would say that the Liberty Fund has been part of the justice reform has been and it's a key part to hopefully closing riders and to give the services to the folks that are no longer incarcerated there.
5:28:44
Thank you.
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Christopher Jeffries, Youth Advocate at Bronx Connect, on the High Costs and Ineffectiveness of Incarceration vs. Alternative to Incarceration Programs
