TESTIMONY
Ronald Day, Senior Vice President at The Fortune Society, on the Challenges and Needs of Reentry Programs
6:08:39
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158 sec
Ronald Day shares insights into the challenges facing reentry programs and the need for enhanced support and funding.
- Day presents his perspective, based on personal experience and nine years at The Fortune Society, on the significance of reentry support and alternatives to incarceration.
- The Fortune Society served over 11,000 individuals in FY23, but recent administration funding falls short of full restoration for DOC services.
- Concerns are raised over the clarity and allocation of the $14 million announced for enhancing DOC programming and services.
- Day highlights how contract cancellations and resource claims by DOC have impacted the delivery of vital programs and services.
- He emphasizes the importance of investing in proven strategies that promote economic justice, racial equality, and collective human dignity.
Ronald Day
6:08:39
Good afternoon.
6:08:41
Counsel could counsel committee chair and nurse?
6:08:44
And members of the committee on criminal justice.
6:08:47
And thank you for the opportunity.
6:08:51
One second.
6:08:52
Okay, sir.
6:08:53
And thank you for the opportunity to provide a testimony today.
6:08:57
My name is Ronald Day, and I'm senior vice president.
6:09:00
At the Fortune Society.
6:09:01
I bring your unique perspective to this discussion, having spent 1 Yale right this island in 1992.
6:09:08
I've been with the Fortune starting for over 9 years, managing various units, including discharge planning, employment services, and our research and policy sensors.
6:09:20
The Fortune Society with this 56 year legacy is committed to supporting successful reentry from incarceration and providing alternative stone incarceration.
6:09:32
In fiscal year 23, We served over 11,000 individuals across diverse programs, including daily 27100 people in our city jails.
6:09:43
While we were heartened to see the administration's recent announcement about enhancing programming and services for people in DOC, the services described and the 14,000,000 in funding do not amount to a full restoration.
6:09:57
It is also not clear even after the testimony offered today, what services the $14,000,000 will pay for?
6:10:06
Before contract cancellation last year, Fortune and our system providers collectively engage with daily 1700 people on a daily basis across 200,000 units and 7 JL facilities in group sessions, hard skills training, and other supports and activities.
6:10:26
DLC claim, it could provide identical programming with in house resources.
6:10:31
We know now and we know then that that was wishful thing.
6:10:35
Thank you for your time and consideration.
6:10:38
Recognizing the challenging financial decision the political front, it is imperative to adapt a forward thinking perspective for enhancement of our shared safety and well-being.
6:10:50
We must remain vigilant against exacerbating ratio and social economic inequalities.
6:10:56
Investing in proven strategies not only aligns with fiscal wisdom, but it's also a moral necessity that forces economic justice, advances racial equality, and upholds our collective human Thank you for the opportunity to testify here today, and my testimony testimony will be submitted in full.
6:11:17
Thank you.