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Council Member Crystal Hudson discusses bills on jail visitation and foster youth experience surveys
0:34:28
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90 sec
Council Member Crystal Hudson presents two bills: Intro 1026-A, which addresses concerns about canceled jail visits, and Intro 1052-A, which expands the Foster Youth Experience Survey to include questions about LGBTQIA+ experiences. She emphasizes the importance of these bills in protecting human rights and ensuring safety for vulnerable populations.
- Intro 1026-A mandates more detailed record-keeping for jail visits and explanations for cancellations.
- Intro 1052-A aims to gather information about the treatment of LGBTQIA+ youth in the foster care system.
- Hudson cites statistics showing a higher percentage of LGBTQIA+ youth in foster care compared to the national average.
Crystal Hudson
0:34:28
Good afternoon, and thank you, madam majority leader.
0:34:30
I'd like to briefly discuss two of my bills, intro ten twenty six and intro ten fifty two, which this body is voting on today.
0:34:36
In late twenty twenty three, the nonprofit news organization, The City, released an investigation that revealed the Department of Corrections canceled over 15,000 video visits since 2020.
0:34:47
Those in custody rely on external social support and connection for their rehabilitation and well-being, and any impediment to receiving visits from family and friends is a violation of our country's most fundamental human rights.
0:34:58
Intro 10/26 would address concerns that correction officers are canceling visits by falsely claiming detainees are rejecting the visits by requiring more detailed record keeping for jail visits.
0:35:08
The bill would mandate the Department of Correction to provide more thorough explanations for any canceled visits.
0:35:13
My second bill, Intro ten fifty two, expands the Foster Youth Experience Survey administered by ACS to include questions about the treatment of foster youth by ACS and foster care providers, as well as questions about their experiences with gender expression, gender identity, and sexual orientation.
0:35:29
According to a report from the Human Rights Campaign, thirty percent of youth in the foster care system identify as LGBTQIA plus compared to the national average of just eleven point four percent.
0:35:39
LGBTQIA plus youth facing horrendous cases of homophobia and transphobia end up in our foster care system, and in many cases, this discrimination continues even in the system.
0:35:48
This bill would ensure that our government has the information it needs to give LGBTQIA plus youth across our city the opportunity to feel safe and protected.
0:35:57
Thank you.