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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by High School Student and Restorative Justice Youth Leader from Make the Road New York
5:59:45
·
146 sec
A ninth-grade student and restorative justice youth leader, testifies about the importance of restorative justice (RJ) in schools and advocates for continued funding of RJ programs while divesting from school policing. She shares personal experiences of how RJ has positively impacted her school community and her own engagement in education.
- She emphasizes that RJ supports students instead of punishing them, addressing root causes of behavior and teaching accountability.
- She argues that investing in school safety officers and surveillance technology does not make students feel safer, and instead creates a stressful environment.
- The testimony concludes with a call for the city council to protect RJ funding, stop hiring school police, and redirect funds (potentially up to $100 million per year) towards community-based RJ approaches.
High School Student
5:59:45
Good afternoon, my name is Alonso Rodriguez.
5:59:48
My pronouns are she, her.
5:59:50
I'm in ninth grade and a student at a community school in Bushwick with Make the Road, New York.
5:59:56
I am also a restorative justice youth leader at my school.
5:59:59
I'm here because I want to let the city know how important restorative justice is in our school, and the students want the city to continue to fund restorative justice and divest from school police.
6:00:10
While being an RJ youth leader, I've learned better ways to communicate, how to be accountable for my actions, and how to deescalate conflict within my peers.
6:00:18
I have firsthand experience in seeing my community at school grow because RJ has given me more confidence to make new and strengthen my old relationships.
6:00:28
I've noticed in myself that I want to come to school more and be more involved in my school community.
6:00:33
RJ has given me new ways to look at language and how we use it in school.
6:00:37
It is a powerful tool that I'm learning to use.
6:00:40
Restorative justice supports students instead of punishing them.
6:00:44
It helps address the root cause of behavior, keeps students engaged, and teaches accountability.
6:00:50
RJ builds empathy instead of punishing students behind with suspension.
6:00:55
RJ has given me more direction, I can see how RJ gives my peers tools to succeed and build a better future.
6:01:01
I believe that New York City has an opportunity to be a leader in The US by investing in practices that support young people and divesting from practices that criminalize them.
6:01:12
More funding for school safety officers does not make us safer.
6:01:15
It is so stressful to walk into my school in the morning and I constantly hear screaming and school security makes me not wanna come to school.
6:01:23
I'm grateful for our RJ coordinator because I know I could come to her if I have a problem.
6:01:29
I urge city council to fund restorative justice programming because students deserve to be seen, heard and understood.
6:01:36
Students demand real safety.
6:01:38
I have seen that RJ can keep us safe, it keeps students engaged in their education, reduces repeat offenses, and creates a safer and more supportive school environment, and by investing in RJ means investing in a future of our youth and community.
6:01:52
Protect funding for restorative justice in schools, move money from hiring and training school police, and stop funding for surveillance technology.
6:02:01
By not hiring any more school police right now, New York City could save up to a hundred million in one year and that money could fund community based sustainable RJ approaches to safety.
6:02:10
Thank you for your