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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Rob DeLeon, Deputy CEO of The Fortune Society
9:15:02
ยท
129 sec
Rob DeLeon, Deputy CEO of The Fortune Society, testified about the importance of alternative-to-incarceration (ATI) programs and their role in enhancing public safety. He emphasized the need to enhance rather than cut these programs, especially in light of the goal to close Rikers Island.
- The Fortune Society served over 13,000 individuals impacted by the criminal legal system last year, connecting them to jobs, housing, and various support services.
- DeLeon shared his personal experience of being incarcerated at 17 and how it relates to the work he now does.
- He mentioned the Clean Slate Act as a potential way to erase criminal records in the future.
Rob DeLeon
9:15:02
Excuse me.
9:15:03
Good evening.
9:15:05
Thank you, chairman Salaam, for your, great work and support over the years, and for hearing us tonight.
9:15:13
I'll summarize, my statement here that I've submitted.
9:15:17
My name is Rob De Leon.
9:15:18
I'm the deputy CEO at the Fortune Society.
9:15:22
At the Fortune Society last year, we served over 13,000 individuals who've had an, you know, impacts with the criminal legal system.
9:15:30
And those individuals were able to be connected to jobs, to housing, to addiction treatment services, to mental health services, to health services, to be connected to medical professionals.
9:15:44
And through doing this work, we help to enhance public safety.
9:15:49
I think it's really, really important to note that three out of five prosecutors today and the special prosecutor mentioned the importance of ATI programs as did our partners at Mach J.
9:16:04
And so the idea that we're looking to cut ATI programs versus to enhance them in order to, in compliance with the law, close Rikers Island ultimately It's just it doesn't make sense to me or to any of us.
9:16:19
The kind of work that we do, my story, I tell it, you know, pretty often in forums like this.
9:16:26
You know, when I went to prison, I was 17 years old.
9:16:30
When I was interrogated by police and went through adult prisons and and, you know, have an adult record on my on my, you know, rap sheet for as long as I will, you know, thanks to the Clean Slate Act.
9:16:45
Hopefully, that will soon be erased.
9:16:49
But individuals like myself, the difference between me and someone like Corinthian is that I've been doing this for twenty one years and Corinthian just started his career.
9:17:00
But ultimately, the work that we do helps to enhance public safety and is an important piece of it.
9:17:07
We shouldn't be cutting it, we should be enhancing it, and thank you everyone.