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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Megan French-Marcelin, Senior Director of New York State Policy at Legal Action Center, on Alternatives to Incarceration
6:35:21
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148 sec
Megan French-Marcelin, representing the New York City Alternatives to Incarceration and Reentry Coalition, testified on the effectiveness and cost-efficiency of alternative-to-incarceration (ATI) programs compared to incarceration at Rikers Island. She emphasized the coalition's request for additional funding to expand these programs.
- ATI programs are evidence-based interventions that reduce recidivism and are more cost-effective than incarceration
- The coalition is requesting $2,400,000 in additional discretionary funds, which is only 10% of DOC's monthly overtime spending
- Studies show that for every dollar spent on ATIs, between three and five dollars of benefits are generated
Megan French-Marcelin
6:35:21
Good afternoon.
6:35:22
My name is Megan French Marceline.
6:35:24
I'm the senior director of New York State Policy at the Legal Action Center.
6:35:29
Today, I testify on behalf the New York City Alternatives to Incarceration and Reentry Coalition.
6:35:36
We are a network of 12 service organizations with decades of experience in providing holistic community based supports to justice involved New Yorkers.
6:35:47
Collectively, we serve more than 30,000 New Yorkers each year.
6:35:52
Let me start by just saying Rikers has proven to be a terrible and very costly public safety strategy, but our programs are not.
6:36:03
These programs are actually some of the most meaningful mechanisms we have available to envision and scale a more just justice system.
6:36:14
These programs are not just about human potential, however.
6:36:18
They're also evidence based, effective interventions supported by decades of research.
6:36:25
In fact, that research has shown us that our programs are more effective than incarceration at reducing recidivism, keeping people from committing new crimes, connecting people to services, and keeping people employed.
6:36:42
And we actually do this at a cost much cheaper than the Department of Correction.
6:36:49
Incarcerating just one person at Rikers for a year is over $500,000.
6:36:55
ATI's create cost savings.
6:36:58
Studies estimate that for every dollar spent on ATI's, between three and five dollars of benefits are generated.
6:37:08
This year, the coalition is asking for $2,400,000 in additional discretionary funds, and to put that into some perspective, that whole ask is just 10% of what the DOC spends monthly on overtime.
6:37:28
If you can read my full written testimony, it has examples of both how we have used discretionary funds in the past and how we plan to use the additional funding to bring these programs to scale and make sure that all New Yorkers have access to effective, holistic, community driven supports.
6:37:48
Thank you.