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Q&A
Funding for Rikers Island alternatives and jail population reduction programs
0:35:15
ยท
108 sec
Speaker Adams inquires about the $1.5 billion reportedly budgeted for initiatives to reduce the jail population and provide alternatives to incarceration. Director Jiha confirms several funded programs but cannot vouch for the exact $1.5 billion figure.
- Funded programs include transitional housing ($58 million), reentry planning services ($37 million), mental health treatment ($21 million), and supervised release ($109 million)
- Additional funding allocated for discovery and case processing ($202 million) and crisis intervention training ($15 million)
- Over half of the people on Rikers have a mental health diagnosis, with $21 million allocated for mental health funding
Adrienne Adams
0:35:15
Okay.
0:35:15
We wanna keep all of these issues top of mind because the council firmly believes in protecting all of these issues and we would like a commitment eventually.
0:35:27
In turning our attention to Rikers, as it becomes clear that the administration will fail to meet the legal deadline to construct the borough based jails, We've been engaging with the administration to discuss how to move the plan forward.
0:35:41
We've been informed by the administration that there is approximately $1,500,000,000 currently budgeted for initiatives to reduce the jail population and provide responsible alternatives to incarceration.
0:35:53
Can you confirm that the budget includes this funding, and what programs and services does the administration currently fund to meet the goals of responsibly reducing the jail population?
Jacques Jiha
0:36:05
I was not part of that specific conversation, so I cannot vouch for that 1 and a half billion dollars.
0:36:11
But what I know for sure, we have a number of programs that are funded in the plan.
0:36:16
We have transitional housing.
0:36:18
It's about $58,000,000.
0:36:20
We have reentry planning services, $37,000,000.
0:36:24
We have mental health treatment, twenty one million dollars.
0:36:28
Supervised release, a hundred and 9 million dollars.
0:36:31
We have discovery and case processing funding, $202,000,000, and we have crisis intervention training for about $15,000,000.
0:36:39
So again, as I said, you know, I wasn't part of the conversation.
0:36:42
I don't know where that 1 and a half billion dollars coming from, but, you know, I know for sure what we have funded in the current plan right now.
Adrienne Adams
0:36:47
You did mention mental health funding.
0:36:50
We know that over half of the people on Rikers have a mental health diagnosis.
0:36:54
Can you repeat the funding allocated?
Jacques Jiha
0:36:58
It's up $21,000,000.
0:36:59
Thank
Lincoln Restler
0:37:02
you.