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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Daniele Gerard, Senior Staff Attorney at Children's Rights, on NYC Department of Correction Budget
6:23:04
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124 sec
Daniele Gerard, representing Children's Rights, urged the committee to cut the Department of Correction's proposed $2.87 billion budget and redistribute funding to programs that improve public safety. She argued against incarceration as a solution to public health and safety issues, especially for youth.
- Suggested eliminating over 1,100 vacant correction officer positions to save $150 million
- Emphasized the need for adequate supportive housing and mental health services
- Highlighted the negative impacts of incarceration on youth and the cost-effectiveness of alternatives to incarceration
Daniele Gerard
6:23:04
Thank you very much, deputy speaker Ayala and committee members.
6:23:10
My name is Danielle Girard.
6:23:11
I'm a senior staff attorney, children's rights.
6:23:14
We are a national organization that advocates on behalf of youth and state systems here in the city on behalf of young adults on Rikers.
6:23:20
We cannot incarcerate our way to public health and safety.
6:23:24
We must invest in our communities, not continue to throw money at the humanitarian disaster that is rye Rikers Island.
6:23:30
We urge this committee and the council to cut the Department of Correction proposed $2,870,000,000 budget and redistribute funding to programs that actually work to improve public safety.
6:23:42
If the city eliminated the more than 1,100 current vacant positions for uniformed correction officers, we could save almost $150,000,000 next year alone to reinvest in the programs and services recommended in the written testimony I filed with you yesterday.
6:23:58
This savings will also help the city close Rikers by the August 2027 deadline in accordance with the law.
6:24:06
And although the department testified that they need more staff, they already have approximately as many staff as incarcerated persons.
6:24:13
Absenteeism and lack of appropriate training are what keep posts unfilled, medical appointments missed, and violence escalating.
6:24:21
We call on the council to ensure our communities have adequate supportive and affordable housing and mental health services before New Yorkers interact with the criminal legal system.
6:24:31
This is especially critical for our children and youth.
6:24:34
Evidence shows that incarceration reduces youth success in education and employment, leads to lasting damage to their health and well-being, and that alternatives to incarceration lead to better outcomes for them all while costing far less than incarceration.
6:24:49
Underfunding alternatives to confinement, and proven services makes no sense morally, ethically, or fiscally, especially in the face of the federal government's rampage against the most vulnerable among us.
6:25:03
We look to the city council to do right by all new workers.
6:25:06
Thank you for the opportunity to testify today.