TESTIMONY
Eileen Maher, Union Leader and Social Worker, on the Failure of NYC's Department of Corrections and the Necessity of Closing Rikers Island
6:21:12
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4 min
Eileen Maher, a union leader and social worker, delivers a compelling testimony on the critical need for the closure of Rikers Island and major reforms within the NYC Department of Corrections (DOC).
- Maher describes her harrowing experience spending over 420 days as a detainee at Rikers Island, labeling it a human rights disaster.
- She criticizes the New York City mayor and the DOC for cutting funding to essential services and failing to adhere to the city's mandate to close Rikers by 2027.
- The testimony highlights the DOC's neglect of mandated programs, the misuse of authority by correction officers, and the shortage of basic necessities for detainees.
- Maher emphasizes the importance of implementing and properly providing alternative-to-incarceration (ATI) programs, reentry services, and replacing current DOC staff with personnel capable of humane treatment.
- The testimony concludes with a call to close Rikers Island, reform the DOC, and create positive change through community-based programs.
Eileen Maher
6:21:12
Hi.
6:21:13
Good afternoon.
6:21:14
My name is Eileen Mar.
6:21:15
I am a sole right union leader from local New York social worker and a survivor of the acute human rights disaster that is reckless island.
6:21:23
And DOC, where I spent over 420 days with a detainee AKA hostage.
6:21:29
By law, Rikers must close by 20 27th.
6:21:33
This budget that our Arverly punitive and Clarksville mayor allotted in the press last night cuts millions in scientifically proven services that are necessary to end most massive incarceration and close record island.
6:21:47
Most importantly, ATIs and reentry services.
6:21:51
And possibly elevating the detaining population up to 7000 human beings who have not been convicted of a crime, yet are detained AKA incarcerated.
6:22:01
Clearly, our mayor has little regard to the city law mandating right foreclosures just as prominent DOC and COBRA members have repeatedly voiced over the years.
6:22:11
While allegedly this project proposal reinstates and creates additional and enhanced programming, I can say that this quote unquote doesn't matter.
6:22:19
For decades, DOC corrects his officers.
6:22:22
Since staff have notoriously ignored programming and mandated programs, such as law library religious services, education, court, medical, and recreation at their own whim.
6:22:34
What I mean is if the officers or staff don't feel like escorting or holding the program or monitoring the service or program, they simply don't.
6:22:43
Hence, methadone, medical education, and other medication services such as insulin and finger sticks.
6:22:50
Many others are remaining non existent.
6:22:53
The problem lies in competency, ignorance, and say domestic violence for for liberties of the officers.
6:23:00
They simply do not care.
6:23:01
We do this nor do they wish to care or even do their jobs at all.
6:23:05
It seems that the only time they, quote unquote, work just went torturing detainees Example, the use of pepper spray, violating the state and city laws barred solitary confinement, scraping and beating detainees without provocation.
6:23:19
And, of course, the age old pastime of New York City DLC, the trafficking of weapons, contraband, architects, and now with the added ingredient of ethanol, car ethanol.
6:23:31
Violence reduction in facilities can only be achieved if the CEO's discontinued choreographic and violence.
6:23:38
Even though there are literally rules full of spilled toilet paper and sanitary napkins, these items continue to be scarce for the detainees, never mind mattresses because CEOs have repeatedly stated that they just don't feel like getting the items.
6:23:54
These were issues when I was at Rosie's.
6:23:57
They were issues 50 years prior to that, and they are currently, as was intimated to me this week, by current male and female detainees and by 3 anonymous CEOs who work in the DLC abilities concurrently.
6:24:13
It is transparently obvious that New York City DLC isn't capable of doing any
Sebastian Solomon
6:24:18
Times expired.
Eileen Maher
6:24:19
Their jobs.
6:24:20
Can you just give me, like, one more minute?
6:24:23
Retraining does not work.
6:24:24
For example, the academy streams them not to trafficking contraband, refitaneous deep.
6:24:29
So forth and solve, but they do it anyway.
6:24:32
The new commissioner murdered 2 detainees for 1st month on the job.
6:24:36
Mister William was mister mister Luna.
6:24:39
That we know of.
6:24:40
Those are the only known names that have been released.
6:24:42
I really don't don't trust the Muffers anymore.
6:24:46
Control of the city jails must be tuned over to someone such as a federal receiver or really anyone that's not New York City DOC.
6:24:54
ATI's reentry and real programming must be implemented and actually provided properly.
6:25:00
Close the island, the CAR array, remove New York City DOC from all in any facilities, and replace them with properly vetted, psychologically evaluated, humane correction officers and staff, increase ATI's reentry community based programs such as mental health, health, education, violence, and disruptors, career training programs, housing, and supportive house.
6:25:21
Become a catalyst not in the plague of maintaining a massive incarceration pandemic.
6:25:26
But in creating positive change in services that ends mass repatriation and serves as an example to the world.
6:25:32
Oh, and court food is, as it has always been, has been a honey sandwich or a cheese sandwich and sometimes milk.
6:25:39
Crew is a fantasy.
6:25:41
Thank you.