PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Faris Ilyas, Policy Council of The New Pride Agenda
2:52:28
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116 sec
Faris Ilyas from The New Pride Agenda testified about Intro 152, focusing on the task force for TGNCNBI people in custody. He highlighted the dysfunction within the task force due to agency members' failure to fulfill their duties and the lack of inclusion of currently incarcerated TGNCNBI individuals in meetings.
- Ilyas described issues such as lack of awareness of current policies, lack of expertise on common medical conditions, and arbitrary denials of information requests.
- He emphasized that the task force has not included a currently incarcerated TGNCNBI person in meetings for the last 5 years, despite it being a legal requirement.
- Ilyas urged the committee to pass Intro 152 with suggested edits to extend the task force and implement measures to better represent incarcerated individuals.
Faris Ilyas
2:52:28
Good afternoon, chair nurse and members of the committee.
2:52:31
My name is Farris Elias.
2:52:32
I represent the new Pedagendas policy council.
2:52:34
I will submit more extensive written testimony about the other measures before you.
2:52:38
But today, I'll be speaking specifically about intro 152.
2:52:42
A member of my organization has participated in the task force on issues basic CGNC MBI people.
2:52:47
In custody since its inception in 2019, following community members and advocates repeated objections, the unsafe dehumanizing, and often illegal conditions facing people on the inside.
2:52:59
Another colleague of mine and I are currently members of this task force and we are alarmed by the level of dysfunction we have witnessed due to multiple multiple agency members refusal to fulfill even the most basic duties that their membership in this task force requires.
2:53:13
Some examples of this include lab lack of awareness of current policies, even when asked repeatedly over months for clarification, lack of expertise on common medical conditions, apparent apathy during meetings, and arbitrary denials of basic requests for information and more.
2:53:28
One of the most important requirements of the law that created the task force is to include a person who is currently incarcerated, who identifies as trans gender nonconforming or non binary in our meetings, but this has not happened for the last 5 years.
2:53:42
And as you can imagine, when we can't easily make contact with those on with those on the inside and can't ask for clear information, our task force cannot fulfill its calling.
2:53:52
This all forms a longstanding pattern in the task force and it has left a trail of grievances and many frustrated community members and advocates over the years.
2:54:00
And our experiences cannot even compare to what people on the inside base as they have to interact with these agencies and navigate unclear policies and systems that put their right I put their rights in well-being at risk on a daily basis.
2:54:12
I urge you to pass intro 152 and suggested edits to extend our task force and to implement the measures that would better equip us to represent people on the inside and to assist you in making a meaningful meaningful difference for them.
2:54:23
Thank you for your time.
