PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Joanne De la Paz, Member of Freedom Agenda
0:39:15
·
3 min
Joanne De la Paz, a member of Freedom Agenda, testifies in support of Intro 412, which would require notification of family members when serious injuries occur in DOC custody. She shares a personal story about her son being stabbed while incarcerated at Rikers Island and the difficulties she faced in obtaining information about his condition and whereabouts.
- De la Paz's son was stabbed twice while in custody, resulting in serious injuries requiring hospitalization
- She experienced significant challenges in getting information about her son's condition and location from DOC officials
- De la Paz emphasizes the need for Rikers Island to be shut down and for families to be informed when incarcerated individuals are seriously injured
Joanne De la Paz
0:39:15
Good morning.
0:39:16
Council members.
0:39:17
You for holding, Miss Herron.
0:39:18
My name is Joanne Dela Pas.
0:39:20
I'm a member of Freedom Freedom Agenda, and I'm here today to ask you to pass intro for 12 as soon as possible to keep family members informed when serious injuries happens in DOC custody.
0:39:33
My son was my son was incarcerated in reconciling in 2022 when he was stabbed 7 times.
0:39:40
They took him to medical and then out They took him no.
0:39:45
They took him some medical and then put him back in the same house almost right away.
0:39:50
And he was stabbed eight more times.
0:39:52
The second time actually happened while I was on the phone with him.
0:39:56
All I heard was chaos in the background.
0:39:58
I didn't know what happened.
0:40:00
And so another one of his friends who was inside when him called me and said, they took him out of their bleeding, and he couldn't breathe.
0:40:09
I was so scared.
0:40:10
I wrote I rushed over to Rekazana with my family, and we demanded to know where my son was.
0:40:17
The god I spoke to was very disrespectful.
0:40:21
He told us whatever happened to him happen.
0:40:25
He said, if he was dead, you would have known.
0:40:30
We kept arguing and finding he said, you should go check Bellevue.
0:40:36
We got to Bellevue, DOC went went and let me see my son.
0:40:40
I gave him his name.
0:40:41
I gave them his name and his ID number, but they said they didn't have him under they had him under some other name because he said, he was in gang affiliated.
0:40:53
Later, I found out that while I was out there arguing with these officers, my son was inside getting he was inside blood taking was getting blood taking out his lungs.
0:41:06
I'm sorry.
0:41:08
His lungs was function after his dad went, and then he needed a blood transfusion.
0:41:14
I went home the day and still haven't gotten to see my son.
0:41:17
The next day I called, spoke to someone in charge, I found me, and they finally didn't get to tell me I could come and see my son.
0:41:27
The person that person actually apologized how we were treated the day before.
0:41:32
When I got there, my son was on the only person in the housing area about 30 guards around him.
0:41:39
He was there 2 days and then sent back to Ricus.
0:41:42
He spent about 6 months at Ricus, and he never got evaluated.
0:41:48
Never got a follow-up appointment.
0:41:50
My son got home, a couple of weeks ago.
0:41:53
And this is and this week was the first time he got evaluated.
0:41:57
After that surgery, a side of the physical trauma, he came home with mental scars and PTSD.
0:42:05
No one should be sent to this place as violent as Ricus, and Ricus need to be shut down.
0:42:11
I am going to keep fighting for that, but there are also smaller changes that the city council can make right now to make sure that when people are hurt, badly, as my son in jail, family members at least informed, so we'd be here for them.
0:42:28
Support from families is important when people are incarcerated, the DLC shouldn't be allowed.
0:42:33
To hide this truth from us.
0:42:35
Thank you.
