Your guide to NYC's public proceedings.
PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Gordon Lee, Activist, on NYC Jail System and Mental Health
6:04:03
ยท
3 min
Gordon Lee, a self-described activist and former Nixon protester, testified against building more jails and expressed concerns about the treatment of mentally ill individuals in the criminal justice system. He advocated for redirecting funds to crime prevention measures and essential services.
- Lee criticized plans for new jails, including a proposed 50-story jail in Chinatown
- He highlighted Rikers Island as being the "largest psych ward in the country" and voiced concerns about the criminalization of mental illness
- Lee shared his own mental health history and medical conditions, expressing fear that he wouldn't survive incarceration due to inadequate healthcare in jails
Gordon Lee
6:04:03
Good night, people.
6:04:05
My name is mister Gordon Lee, a former Nixon protester.
6:04:10
But you can also call me God.
6:04:12
I'm with all groups, including clothes rikers and neighbors together because I wanna fight for causes that nobody can live without, and I wanna fight everything that everyone fears, including my, self.
6:04:30
And I was one of the newborns under the Nixon presidency, June of twenty third of nineteen seventy three.
6:04:39
Now, I also don't agree with the extra money to build more jails, like the new jail proposed in Manhattan and the plan to rezone all of Chinatown to build a 50 story jail or prison.
6:05:01
Now I'm I'm not gonna ask that there be you know, I know that jails are needed to hold, people who are a threat to the community.
6:05:20
But, also, you know, they we should also try to save money for other things that will, prevent crime and drugs, including affordable food security, affordable education, childcare, mental health services, affordable health care, affordable housing, and, you know, all of that, any basic essentials.
6:05:52
And also, I have been hearing that Rikers Island is the largest psych ward in the country, and it's not really a jail in a way.
6:06:12
You know, the purpose of it, an evil purpose.
6:06:18
I'm hearing people want mentally ill people to be criminalized instead of treated.
6:06:28
And, they want and and I got the impression that mentally ill people who are accused of crimes get worse treatment than people who are truly criminals and who are normal, who who are have more ability to know right from wrong and more ability to control their behavior.
6:06:50
And to me, that looks like a gross injustice.
6:06:55
And I happen to have a mental health history, autism, lactate mutism, speech problems.
6:07:04
I sometimes read a little bit slow.
6:07:09
And I'm some degree of mood disorders.
6:07:16
And I also have a medical condition, someone wouldn't survive incarceration, because, they're saying there's no healthcare in the jails, they don't allow healthcare, inmates are not allowed to see their healthcare providers, so I was, told.
6:07:41
And, so I wouldn't survive incarceration.
6:07:47
I have sleep apnea.
6:07:49
I rely on a breathing machine at nights.
Diana Ayala
6:07:52
Gordon, can you wrap up honey?
6:07:54
I'm sorry that we have other people waiting.
Gordon Lee
6:07:56
Okay, time's up?
Diana Ayala
6:07:58
Yeah.
6:07:58
It was up a little while ago.
6:07:59
I'll let you go over.
Gordon Lee
6:08:00
Okay, thanks.
Diana Ayala
6:08:01
Thank you so much.