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Council Member Sandy Nurse introduces bill to improve conditions for mentally ill individuals in the carceral system
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Council Member Sandy Nurse introduces a bill aimed at improving conditions and quality of life for individuals in the carceral system, particularly those with mental health issues. The bill focuses on addressing the problem of people deemed unfit to stand trial who are stuck in Rikers Island jail complex for extended periods.
- The bill requires consistent public reporting on the time people deemed unfit to stand trial remain in jail and their housing locations.
- Nurse emphasizes that jails should not be used as substitutes for mental health care facilities.
- The legislation aims to safely reduce the jail population and ensure proper care for individuals in appropriate settings.
Sandy Nurse
0:28:29
Thank you, chair.
0:28:30
Good afternoon, colleagues.
0:28:32
Today, I join, council members Hudson, Rivera, and Gutierrez as we'll be voting on my bill to improve the conditions and quality of life of people touched by the carceral system.
0:28:43
Intro October comes in response to reports of people who have been deemed unfit to stand trial who are languishing on Rikers despite being cleared for transfer by a doctor and a judge.
0:28:56
Some individuals remained stuck for months with no end in sight, and in one case a man was in limbo for fifteen years.
0:29:03
With over thirty four confirmed deaths at Rikers since the start of mayor Adams administration, it is clear at this point that Rikers is no place for anyone to be, let alone someone experiencing a mental health crisis.
0:29:16
This bill will ensure consistent public reporting on the amount of time people deemed unfit to stand trial remain in jail and where they are housed.
0:29:24
At the end of the day, we cannot allow our jails to be a substitute for mental health care.
0:29:29
That's not what they're designed for, and it's not what they should be used for.
0:29:33
Our priority should be safely reducing the jail population and ensuring that people get the care they need in the right setting, and Rikers cannot serve as that mental health facility simply because the state is failing to expand beds in appropriate facilities.
0:29:47
Thank you to everyone who helped craft and push for this legislation, and I ask for my colleagues to support this bill today.
0:29:53
Thank you, chair.