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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Sarita Daftary, Co-Director of Freedom Agenda
6:27:15
·
162 sec
Sarita Daftary, Co-Director of Freedom Agenda, testified on the NYC Department of Corrections budget and the campaign to close Rikers Island. She emphasized the need to reallocate funds from hiring additional correction officers to investments in mental health, housing, and alternatives to incarceration.
- Criticized the plan to spend $150 million on hiring 1,100 more correction officers
- Highlighted the discrepancy between the estimated staff needed for borough jails (3,240) and DOC's budgeted staff (7,060)
- Called for the City Council to prioritize investments in mental health and social services over expanding DOC staff
Sarita Daftary
6:27:15
Good afternoon chair Brannan, chair nurse, chair Aviles.
6:27:18
I am Streeter Dafri.
6:27:20
I'm co director of Freedom Agenda.
6:27:21
We're one of the organizations leading the campaign to close Rikers.
6:27:25
Our members have experienced Rikers and been impacted by crime and they know what works to create public safety, things like housing, healthcare, work opportunities and mentorship.
6:27:34
While mayor Adams has said he wants to close the pipelines that feed Rikers, his budget would leave gaping holes in our city's mental health infrastructure and social safety net continuing to funnel vulnerable New Yorkers into Rikers Island where they are subjected to violence, deadlocking, sexual assault, now also the potential of being picked off by ICE.
6:27:52
We're calling on the city council to ensure that the adopted budget paves the way for New York City to close Rikers Island and we appreciate the emphasis that the council has already put on those investments.
6:28:01
One important tool we want to point out to you is the possibility to reallocate $150,000,000 that the city is currently planning to spend to hire 1,100 more correction officers.
6:28:13
Instead of spending money on those additional officers we should be spending, we should be investing to help New Yorkers thrive.
6:28:20
That includes 70,600,000.0 more to meet critical mental health and housing needs, 2,400,000.0 more is for alternatives to incarceration and reentry programs, 8,100,000.0 more for the Board of Correction to adequately conduct their oversight, and $3,000,000 to begin a master plan for renewable Rikers.
6:28:37
DOC spending is such an epic scandal that it's sometimes hard to put into context honestly.
6:28:42
This is an agency that a federal judge has described as both overstaffed and underserved.
6:28:47
While OMB has pushed for vacancy reductions at agencies that provide vital services to improve people's lives, DOC has escaped even the suggestion of such cuts despite their vacancy rate growing for three years straight.
6:28:59
Why is this special treatment being given to the one agency in the city that is actually required to shrink in the next few years under the plan to close Rikers?
6:29:07
When the independent Rikers Commission estimates that the borough jails will require only 3,240 uniformed officers at most, why is DOC budgeting for 7,060 which is 1,100 more than their current head count?
6:29:22
DOC has pitched hiring more staff as a way to curb excessive overtime.
6:29:25
IBO published a report that shows that's not the case.
6:29:28
Just to wrap up, we're grateful that the council in your budget response is aligned with us and so many New Yorkers in calling for investments in mental health at a scale that finally reaches the need.
6:29:37
And we know what OMB is going to tell you.
6:29:38
They're going to say there's no money for that.
6:29:40
So we need the council to be prepared to say there's $150,000,000 in this budget to hire 1,100 unnecessary correction officers and we need this administration to get their priorities straight.
6:29:51
I'll submit along with this a full analysis of the budget that outlines our investment priorities.
6:29:56
Thank you.