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TESTIMONY

Nicole Farrelly, Senior Mitigation Specialist at Osborn Association on Advocacy's Role in Supporting Indigent Clients and Alternatives to Incarceration

6:29:12

·

3 min

Nicole Farrelly testifies on the crucial role of advocacy and alternatives to incarceration for indigent clients, highlighting the success of the Osborne Association.

  • Farrelly outlines Osborne Association's funding requests, emphasizing the need for the closure of Rikers and the restoration of vital funding for incarceration alternative programs.
  • She presents compelling statistics to demonstrate the effectiveness of Alternatives to Incarceration (ATI) programs, including a reduction in sentences by 1,300 years and saving taxpayers millions.
  • Through the stories of clients Mr. Lopez and MT, Farrelly illustrates the transformative impact of ATI programs on individuals' lives.
  • These narratives underscore the importance of ATI programs not only in saving costs but also in rehabilitating individuals and integrating them back into society.
Nicole Farrelly
6:29:12
Thank you.
6:29:13
My name is Nicole Farrelly, and I'm a senior mitigation specialist with Osborne Association's core advocacy services.
6:29:19
Providing defense based advocacy for indigent clients.
6:29:22
Osborn serves 10,000 participants annually and has provided core advocacy services for 30 years.
6:29:28
My written testimony details Osborne's funding requests and calls for the closure of Rikers.
6:29:33
The restoration of the 17,000,000 that funded programs on Rikers until it was eliminated last June.
6:29:38
And the restoration of the $2,500,000 for the next steps.
6:29:43
A nine year old program providing mentors and services to young people that the Department of Prevention are limited with eliminated with only days notice.
6:29:51
We are requesting increased investments and programs that keep people out of jail in prison and support them when they are coming home.
6:29:57
The effectiveness of ATI's cannot be overstated.
6:30:00
In 1 year, we reduced sentences by 1300 years, saving taxpayers tens of 1,000,000 of dollars.
6:30:07
And 98% of our clients avoided detention by meeting their court requirements.
6:30:12
The cost of 1 year in micros is $556,000 per person.
6:30:16
For that, ATI's conserved over thirty people and yield life changing results that make us all safer.
6:30:22
As compelling as these numbers are alone, I wanna tell you about 2 of our clients.
6:30:26
As it's important that we remember that every one of our more than 6000 people are writers as a person with the story.
6:30:32
When I met Mister Lopez, he was thirty years old and 6 years into his 10 year probation sentence.
6:30:38
He was on record for violating probation because he missed appointments and dropped out of acquired treatment due to a painful back injury that left him almost immobile.
6:30:46
He had committed no new crimes and was a loving husband and father to 2 young children.
6:30:51
On Ricard's Island, the Serlop has his physical health deteriorated.
6:30:54
He was in severe pain and became wheelchair bound.
6:30:56
He never received his promised MRIs or pain medication.
6:31:00
In one meeting, he told me, this place is literally killing me.
6:31:03
I would take hundreds of years of house arrest rather than be in here.
6:31:07
With our advocacy, he was restored to probation after spending months deteriorating on Rutgers Island.
6:31:12
With proper supports now in place, His probation requirements adjusted to accommodate his physical limitations.
6:31:18
He has reenrolled in treatment, is back with his family, and is living a law abiding life.
6:31:23
Another client, MT, is a twenty three year old non binary individual who is facing 25 years in prison.
6:31:29
We gather background information to understand their needs and presented them to the court.
6:31:34
MT had significant childhood trauma, faced many challenges, and had a difficult time on Records Island.
6:31:39
We found a residential program where MT was accepted, achieved sobriety, and thrived.
6:31:44
We advocated for a reduction in their charges and a non incarcerated substance with a longer term residential program as an ATI.
6:31:50
The judge and ADA agreed.
6:31:52
MT has maintained sobriety for over a year completed vocational training program and is now employed full time.
6:31:58
They received a housing voucher and are looking for independent long term housing.
6:32:02
The court recently decided that upon completion of the program, MT will be able to replete to a misdemeanor in May.
6:32:09
Without poor advocacy and community based programs, MT could have spent decades in prison towards what game and a huge Times
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