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Effects of gang allegations in courtrooms and on youth programs discussed
3:30:15
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162 sec
Council Member Althea V. Stevens and Professor Babe Howell discuss the effects of gang allegations in courtrooms and on youth programs, highlighting how these labels impact legal proceedings and opportunities for young people.
- Stevens mentions families being denied victim services and facing eviction due to gang allegations
- Howell explains how gang allegations in courtrooms lead to denial of youthful offender status and alternative-to-incarceration programs
- The discussion emphasizes how gang labels deprive individuals of due process and rehabilitation opportunities
Althea V. Stevens
3:30:15
And I'm gonna stop here because I know I've been running my mouth and taking a lot a lot of space, but I'm I'm just happy that you brought up the victim services because that was one of the things that I brought up in the conversation and they were explicit that that does not happen, although I've had multiple conversations with families who have been denied victim services, like you said even in NYCHA now facing eviction because of the aftermath of what this has created and again I want to state being in a gang is not a crime.
3:30:44
And so that's the other piece around it, they have not been charged with a crime, it is just a label that is being policed on them.
Babe Howell
3:30:51
I want to share one of the most important effects that I've seen in courtrooms of the gang allegation.
3:30:56
And the NYPD is word playing.
3:30:59
We don't share the database, but we will tell the prosecutor so and so, this crew or that crew.
3:31:05
So they don't let you log in but they give the information.
3:31:10
It's also available to each one of those 30,000 officers.
3:31:14
However, in courtrooms it has a tremendous effect.
3:31:19
Young people are denied youthful offender, ATI programs, the off ramps that are supposed to be there for kids making the mistakes kids make that are supposed to give second chances and bring us back to our communities.
3:31:37
Not only are they denied those off ramps, but in the Bronx 1 Hundred 20 indictment and other of the RICO charges, they will use predicate acts where you've already done two days community service for selling weed in the neighborhood and say this shows that they're part of this crew or gang.
3:31:58
So they'll use, in one case, a youthful offender diversion.
3:32:05
He finished the program, he was congratulated, he went on, committed no new crimes, and yet the two admitted robberies that put him in the youthful offender program that got him into court as a teenager were used as predicate acts for Rico.
3:32:24
And he then gets punished again when he has already gone through the program, is living an entirely lawful life.
3:32:33
So the gang allegation, you know getting rid of the gang database is step one.
3:32:37
We have to get rid of using this gang allegation anywhere because it deprives you of due process, it deprives you alternatives that are designed for just this population, kids who are in trouble.
3:32:51
They need our help, not our labels and deprivation of all rights.