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Q&A
Queens DA discusses jail population statistics and diversion program efforts
6:20:39
ยท
95 sec
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz provides insights on jail population and diversion efforts:
- Queens represents 27% of NYC's population but only 13% of the Rikers Island population
- Emphasis on diversion programs, including pre-arrangement diversions and specialized courts (mental health, human trafficking, drug rehabilitation, veterans)
- 32% of Queens remands are for homicide charges, 15% for firearms and dangerous weapons
- Careful consideration of bail requests, including defendant's ability to pay
- Focus on violent crimes for bail or remand requests
Melinda Katz
6:20:39
So just to give you some perspective, Queens has 27% of the population in the city of New York.
6:20:45
We have 13% of the population at Rikers.
6:20:49
We do all we can to make sure that there are diversions, that there are prearrangement diversion, which is usually our DATs.
6:20:57
But we do everything we can to divert people to treatment courts to make sure there's mental health court, there's human trafficking court, there's drug rehabilitation court, there's veterans courts.
6:21:07
But again, 13% of the population there is Queens.
6:21:11
Twenty Seven Percent of the population in the city is Queens County.
6:21:15
Just so you know, D.
6:21:17
A.
6:21:17
Clark mentioned, you know, different borough, different numbers.
6:21:21
But it is important to note that on remand 32% of the people that are remanded out of Queens County are charged with homicide.
6:21:30
And the fifteen percent are charged with having firearms and dangerous weapons.
6:21:35
So, I mean, the charge goes down, it's a different percentage.
6:21:40
But we take remand extremely seriously.
6:21:43
And we also take asking for bail extremely seriously.
6:21:46
That's why the laws were passed that ask us to look at how much a defendant can afford.
6:21:52
And so we take, we have a whole unit that is on it.
6:21:56
We work on it.
6:21:57
But at the end of the day, the largest percentage at Rikers are there for violent crimes and were only asked for bail or remand because of that.
6:22:08
It is exactly who we think may not, has a risk of flight.
6:22:13
And so those are the reasons.