PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Siobhan Hunziker, Mitigation Specialist at Osborne Association
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ยท
123 sec
Siobhan Hunziker, a mitigation specialist at the Osborne Association, provided testimony on the importance of contracted jail services, particularly focusing on mitigation and alternatives to incarceration programs. She highlighted the cost-effectiveness and public safety benefits of such programs, while also expressing concerns about the mental health care provided in DOC custody.
- Osborne Association serves over 14,000 individuals annually, helping them navigate various stages of the criminal justice system.
- In 2024, Court Advocacy Services saved 324 clients from over 1,411 years of incarceration, resulting in a cost savings of over $162 million.
- Hunziker emphasized the need for expanded funding for mitigation and ATI programs, as well as addressing the mental health needs of those in DOC custody.
Siobhan Hunziker
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Good morning.
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Thank you, chair nurse and members of the criminal justice committee and the committee on contracts for the opportunity to provide testimony today.
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My name is Siobhan Hunziker, and I'm a mitigation specialist at the Osborne Association.
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Osborne is one of the largest and oldest criminal justice service organizations in the state.
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Our services reach over 14,000 individuals each year, assisting them and their families in navigating arrest, courts, incarceration on Rikers and state prisons, and reentry.
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We advocate for decarceration and expanding alternatives to detention and incarceration, and we support closing Rikers.
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We also advocate for improved conditions inside Rikers and our for our clients.
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Osborne's court advocacy services is our longest running program.
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It's staffed by social workers and mental health professionals whose purpose is to provide mitigating factors to defense attorneys whose clients would not otherwise benefit from the critical social work services in their criminal defense.
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I work on our second look initiative through which we provide mitigation services specifically to women and gender expansive people detained on Rikers.
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Thank you for focusing today on contracted jail services.
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This includes contracted mitigation specialists and those who work to help people leave Rikers as soon as possible, which serves the interest of public safety in many ways, both human and economic.
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In 2024, Court Advocacy Services spared 324 clients from over a 1,411 years of incarceration, a cost savings of over a $162,000,000.
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While I urge you to expand funding for mitigation and ATI programs, I also wanna share some pressing concerns regarding people whose health and mental health needs are not being met while in DOC custody.
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Please consider the following.
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Bikers is New York City's largest provider, psychiatric care, and one of the country's largest mental health providers.
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In 2023