{"id":1412,"date":"2020-06-08T23:37:48","date_gmt":"2020-06-08T23:37:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/council.nyc.gov\/data\/?page_id=1412"},"modified":"2020-06-09T12:44:17","modified_gmt":"2020-06-09T12:44:17","slug":"speaker-speech-on-criminal-justice-reform","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/council.nyc.gov\/data\/fix-the-system\/speaker-speech-on-criminal-justice-reform\/","title":{"rendered":"Fix the System"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Speech on Criminal Justice Reform <\/strong><\/p>\n

NYC Council Speaker Corey Johnson<\/strong><\/p>\n

John Jay College of Criminal Justice<\/strong><\/p>\n

May 16, 2019<\/strong><\/p>\n

Thank you President Mason for that kind introduction.<\/p>\n

Thank you John Jay College for having me here today.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m honored to be joined by so many of my colleagues in government.<\/p>\n

And I\u2019m honored to be here at John Jay, one of the best colleges at the City University of New York.<\/p>\n

Today, we\u2019re going to talk about how our criminal justice system should function in the 21st<\/sup> century.<\/p>\n

And I\u2019m going to propose some concrete steps on how to get there.<\/p>\n

But to begin this talk about our city\u2019s future, I\u2019d like to start by addressing our past;<\/p>\n

Stop and frisk, broken windows, and mass incarceration.<\/p>\n

The truth is that because of the color of my skin, I can\u2019t truly know the trauma experienced by people who have endured the consequences of those policies.<\/p>\n

But as Speaker of the New York City Council, it is my job to listen and understand how policies affect communities.<\/p>\n

I have listened to many New Yorkers, and I have been moved by what I heard.<\/p>\n

Today I want you to hear just one of these stories from my good friend.<\/p>\n

As I said, I have listened and I have learned.<\/p>\n

And as Speaker of the New York City Council it is my duty to acknowledge that these policies were wrong.<\/p>\n

Less than a decade ago, we stopped and frisked almost 700,000 people a year.<\/p>\n

The overwhelming majority of them were black and brown New Yorkers who had done nothing wrong.<\/p>\n

Our jail population was over 20,000 in the 1990s<\/p>\n

Most of those people were in for minor crimes and could not afford bail.<\/p>\n

And just 8 years ago, we sent more than half a million people to criminal court for quality of life offenses.<\/p>\n

Today our stop and frisk rate is reportedly down by 98%.<\/p>\n

Our jail population is almost a third of what it was.<\/p>\n

And criminal summonses for offenses like drinking in public are down 96% from where they were less than a decade ago.<\/p>\n

We have made great strides.<\/p>\n

But the profound injustices of those practices continue to haunt us.<\/p>\n

Our jail population in New York City right now is 87% percent black and Latinx.<\/p>\n

Eighty-seven percent.<\/p>\n

81% of people prosecuted for crimes in New York City are black and Latinx.<\/p>\n

88% of people stopped and frisked are black and Latinx.<\/p>\n

This is the true legacy of stop and frisk, broken windows, and mass incarceration.<\/p>\n

Our system has clearly had a profound and long-lasting impact on communities of color.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve seen it myself.<\/p>\n

I recently watched criminal court arraignments.<\/p>\n

I saw overwhelmingly black and Latino men charged with crimes of poverty and addiction.<\/p>\n

Crimes that should be addressed with treatment and services.<\/p>\n

The policies of stop and frisk, broken windows, and mass incarceration have turned our criminal justice system into a system of in<\/em>justice for poor people of color.<\/p>\n

And for what?<\/p>\n

New York City is the safest big city in the country right now \u2013 and we did it while moving away from these practices.<\/p>\n

Many of you in this room led that fight.<\/p>\n

And you know these changes did not come easy.<\/p>\n

When the City Council passed laws to send quality of life cases to civil court instead of criminal court \u2013<\/p>\n

it was a direct rebuttal<\/em> to broken windows;<\/p>\n

Some people said the bad old days would come back.<\/p>\n

Murders, muggings, mayhem \u2013 they were all coming back.<\/p>\n

It didn\u2019t happen.<\/p>\n

They said the same thing when we said \u201cno\u201d to the abuse of stop and frisk and \u201cyes\u201d to Neighborhood Policing.<\/p>\n

But the facts speak for themselves.<\/p>\n

Crime continued to fall.<\/p>\n

So now we are at a pivotal moment in our city.<\/p>\n

We have shown we can move forward with a holistic approach to justice that can keep crime down and keep all<\/em> communities safe \u2013 the beginning of a new era.<\/p>\n

REBUILDING TRUST<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

To start, let\u2019s acknowledge that every community \u2014from the Upper West Side to Brownsville\u2014should be able to trust that everyone who wears a badge is there to protect them.<\/p>\n

And let\u2019s acknowledge that many people, particularly in communities of color, currently do not feel that way.<\/p>\n

To earn some of this trust, we need to repeal 50-a, the state law that allows the NYPD to shield police officers from public scrutiny.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s what kept New Yorkers from knowing the disciplinary records of the officers involved in the death of Eric Garner.<\/p>\n

There is a trial going on this week, as you all know.<\/p>\n

Eric Garner died in 2014, and five years later \u2013 the public still has many unanswered questions.<\/p>\n

50-a keeps officer misconduct in the shadows.<\/p>\n

I fully respect the women and men of the NYPD who risk their lives to keep us safe.<\/p>\n

Part of the reason why we are here today is because the NYPD is arresting people at dramatically lower rates than they were just a few years ago.<\/p>\n

In the past decade, arrests have gone down 40%.<\/p>\n

And it was the NYPD who worked with the City Council to make sure that over 100,000 criminal cases went to civil court.<\/p>\n

They were our partners in this work and I thank them for that.<\/p>\n

But those with the power to arrest and take away another\u2019s liberty should be held to the highest standards of accountability.<\/p>\n

50-a keeps communities from being able to wholly trust the police and must be repealed.<\/p>\n

That trust will only come from a robust discipline system that is transparent to the public.<\/p>\n

CLOSE RIKERS<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

We also have to rebuild trust in our corrections system.<\/p>\n

Which is why we are closing Rikers Island, a stain on the soul of our city.<\/p>\n

I am so proud to say we are making serious progress on this front.<\/p>\n

Thanks in huge part to former Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman, who is here today.<\/p>\n

Thank you Jonathan.<\/p>\n

The land use process for new jail sites has begun, and Albany has finally passed transformative laws on the issues of discovery, speedy trial, and bail reform.<\/p>\n

But there is so much more to do.<\/p>\n

Going forward, our default response to most arrests should be diversion, treatment, and rehabilitation \u2013 not incarceration.<\/p>\n

Thanks to bail reform in Albany, we are about to have at least 2,000 fewer people in our city jails.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s continue that movement towards decarceration.<\/p>\n

We need to increase our investment in alternatives to jail and prison.<\/p>\n

And importantly, we need to take the money we used to spend on our jails and invest those funds in the communities directly impacted by mass incarceration.<\/p>\n

We need to address the fundamental problems that led to justice system involvement in these communities in the first place.<\/p>\n

We need substance use treatment programs.<\/p>\n

More supportive housing.<\/p>\n

Better access to health care.<\/p>\n

More job programs.<\/p>\n

This is how you fix a system that has been broken for far too long.<\/p>\n

This is how you invest in fairness.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s something I am completely committed to, and will be working on throughout my term.<\/p>\n

PAROLE REFORM<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s one fairly easy way we can invest in fairness:<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s stop sending people on parole back to jail for minor technical violations.<\/p>\n

Right now, people accused of these minor violations account for 8% of our jail population.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s around 600 people behind bars for things like missing a curfew.<\/p>\n

Or not passing a drug test.<\/p>\n

Or missing an appointment.<\/p>\n

The stories we\u2019ve been hearing are outrageous.<\/p>\n

Just recently, the Fortune Society told us about a woman who ended up on Rikers for missing one appointment with her parole officer.<\/p>\n

One appointment.<\/p>\n

I wish this was an aberration – but it\u2019s not.<\/p>\n

People are incarcerated for technical little things like this every single day.<\/p>\n

The state is considering the Less is More Act to help fix this problem, and I urge my colleagues in Albany to pass this legislation this session.<\/p>\n

But the City Council will also take action.<\/p>\n

We can and will provide judges who handle these violations with meaningful programs to get people out, and get them out quickly.<\/p>\n

The first program will identify people arrested for parole violations immediately upon their incarceration, and put them on a fast track to release.<\/p>\n

They will participate in a two-week intensive program with a robust array of services, from cognitive behavioral therapy to coursework on understanding parole conditions.<\/p>\n

They have not committed new crimes, only technical infractions, so two weeks is more than enough time to get them back on track and prepared for reentry.<\/p>\n

The second program will work directly with parole judges to identify individuals they don\u2019t think should be sent back to prison.<\/p>\n

These individuals will participate in a community-based program that will provide important services like transitional housing and drug treatment.<\/p>\n

These types of programs work.<\/p>\n

With the help of the Fortune Society, the woman who missed a meeting with her parole officer is in supportive housing and getting a robust array of services.<\/p>\n

She\u2019s been out of jail for over a year.<\/p>\n

The Fortune Society and The Osborne Association are here today, along with their clients who have been directly impacted by our broken parole system.<\/p>\n

Thank you all for coming and thank you for the work you do.<\/p>\n

Our new programs will help keep people from getting needlessly locked up, and help drive our jail population down.<\/p>\n

They will help us achieve the city we all want and need, and I am so excited about the work ahead of us.<\/p>\n

MENTAL HEALTH AND JAIL<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019m going to be honest \u2013 there\u2019s no easy solutions for this next challenge.<\/p>\n

Nearly one in five people in our city jails have been diagnosed with a serious mental illness.<\/p>\n

Most come from poor communities of color that have limited access to medical care, and are also subject to higher levels of law enforcement.<\/p>\n

The health care system has turned away the chronically ill, and left jails as the public caretaker of last resort.<\/p>\n

But incarcerating people with mental health issues is a profound injustice, and something that we should never allow in our city.<\/p>\n

MENTAL HEALTH: HOUSING<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

Because I\u2019m serious about addressing the mass incarceration of those with mental illness, I\u2019m prepared to address one of the key drivers in this crisis:<\/p>\n

Housing.<\/p>\n

Finding a place to house and care for mentally ill people who are charged with crimes will not be easy.<\/p>\n

Or cheap.<\/p>\n

But we can\u2019t ignore this problem because it\u2019s hard.<\/p>\n

We need transitional housing for those who just need a temporary home;<\/p>\n

And supportive housing for people who need more supervision.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s the thing:<\/p>\n

We\u2019re ignoring solutions to this problem but we\u2019re still paying for it.<\/em><\/p>\n

We spend $2.4 billion dollars \u2013 that\u2019s billion with a \u201cB\u201d<\/strong> – every year incarcerating people in city jails.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s over $300,000 A YEAR for one person.<\/p>\n

If the moral issue doesn\u2019t move you, then the money issue should.<\/p>\n

Today, I\u2019m announcing the creation of a new program to house 100 people with serious mental illness who are caught up in our criminal justice system.<\/p>\n

This initiative will focus on men who need transitional housing and not jail.<\/p>\n

It will be modeled after the successful effort the city has already implemented with the Women\u2019s Community Justice Project.<\/p>\n

The women in this program have a recidivism rate that is five times less than their peers.<\/p>\n

This type of programming works, which is why I am committing money to expanding it.<\/p>\n

The 100 beds that I\u2019m proposing are a great start.<\/p>\n

But the reality is, we could create a thousand beds<\/em> and they would easily be filled.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s how much work we need to do as a city.<\/p>\n

And we will.<\/p>\n

I can promise you all: this is the beginning, not the end, of rethinking how we spend our taxpayer dollars.<\/p>\n

MENTAL HEALTH: INPATIENT TREATMENT<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s another reason mentally ill people end up on Rikers Island when they shouldn\u2019t:<\/p>\n

We have options for incarcerated people who need inpatient drug<\/em> treatment.<\/p>\n

The same cannot be said for inpatient mental health<\/em> treatment.<\/p>\n

The few facilities that do exist don\u2019t have enough capacity for those in need;<\/p>\n

Which means people end up stuck on Rikers while they wait for a bed.<\/p>\n

To fix this, I am calling for an investment in residential mental health programs.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s take some of the money we spend locking up people with serious mental illness, and invest it in inpatient programs.<\/p>\n

So they can get better and learn to transition back into society.<\/p>\n

So they can stay well and not recidivate.<\/p>\n

So they don\u2019t wind up interacting with the criminal justice system in the first place.<\/p>\n

Because the era of locking people up because they are mentally ill must come to an end.<\/p>\n

MENTAL HEALTH: PROVIDING THE RIGHT TOOLS<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

We have to think big on these issues.<\/p>\n

But there are smaller steps we can take that will make a real difference.<\/p>\n

We can do more to provide judges, prosecutors, and defense attorneys with the right tools to handle these cases.<\/p>\n

When a judge agrees a person can safely live somewhere other than Rikers, we need to provide real options.<\/p>\n

So the City Council will fund a program to connect social workers with defense lawyers and medical staff early in the process, when there is time to find alternatives.<\/p>\n

We also need to address the continued incarceration of individuals whose conditions improve after being in custody.<\/p>\n

Right now, a judge typically determines whether someone goes to jail within 24 hours of their arrest.<\/p>\n

At that time, an individual may be experiencing the height of their mental health symptoms.<\/p>\n

Our city\u2019s jails have made real progress in the treatment of those with serious mental health issues.<\/p>\n

They get on the right medication and they stabilize.<\/p>\n

People get better;<\/p>\n

But they don\u2019t get out.<\/p>\n

Today, I\u2019m announcing new legislation called the \u201cGet Well & Get Out Act.\u201d<\/p>\n

This bill will require correctional health services to communicate critical information about a person\u2019s mental health status to their attorneys.<\/p>\n

This information will open doors to a more humane option for people living with mental illness.<\/p>\n

EQUAL JUSTICE<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

But as we increase our investment in alternatives to incarceration, we must<\/em> make sure those investments are fairly distributed.<\/p>\n

A fairer system means equal access to justice no matter where you live.<\/p>\n

One impediment to that is the size of our city.<\/p>\n

We have five District Attorneys, a Special Narcotics Prosecutor, hundreds of judges, and thousands of defense attorneys.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, scattered throughout our different neighborhoods and precincts, there are dozens of unique programs designed to divert cases from jail or prison.<\/p>\n

The result is that the outcome of a criminal case may hinge on which program was funded in a particular borough.<\/p>\n

Or whether or not the people handling your case know about that program.<\/p>\n

So the City Council will expand one of our most promising programs, Project Reset.<\/p>\n

And we will do it citywide.<\/p>\n

Project Reset moves misdemeanor cases outside the criminal justice system entirely.<\/p>\n

Right now, our system mechanically churns through misdemeanor cases, treating those charged with crimes as \u201cbodies\u201d and not as people.<\/p>\n

Project Reset recognizes their humanity.<\/p>\n

This program isn\u2019t just the right thing to do, it actually produces impressive results.<\/p>\n

After the completion of just 2 sessions, Project Reset participants were less than half as likely to be arrested as their peers.<\/p>\n

I want to thank District Attorney Darcel Clark, who is here today and who has been a great partner in working with us to fund this in the Bronx.<\/p>\n

And I can\u2019t wait to see the results when we expand this citywide.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m also proud to be announcing that the City Council will fund the operations of a court in Brooklyn dedicated solely to assessing certain felony cases for alternatives to incarceration.<\/p>\n

This new courtroom will be created with the help of Chief Judge Matthew D\u2019Emic of Brooklyn Supreme Court and the Center for Court Innovation, who is here with us today.<\/p>\n

It will analyze every eligible case in the borough to ensure that individuals have the opportunity to access alternatives to incarceration where appropriate.<\/p>\n

The court will begin in Brooklyn, and when successful we can expand it city wide.<\/p>\n

Because the default outcome for most cases should not be incarceration.<\/p>\n

District Attorney Eric Gonzalez has already committed to this progressive concept.<\/p>\n

He is here today, and I thank him for his support and for all the work he has done to reform our system.<\/p>\n

ECONOMIC JUSTICE: SURCHARGES<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

Fairness means more than getting an equal shot at helpful programs.<\/p>\n

Fairness also means economic equity.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a perfect example of economic in<\/em>-equity.<\/p>\n

In 1982, our state added mandatory court \u201csurcharges\u201d to all convictions as part of a misguided effort to be \u201ctough on crime.\u201d<\/p>\n

These surcharges run from $120 for a non-criminal offense to $250 for a misdemeanor. And almost $400 for a felony.<\/p>\n

For those with means, $120 is a nuisance.<\/p>\n

But for those living in poverty, it is a severe hardship.<\/p>\n

So I am calling on the state to end mandatory surcharges.<\/p>\n

The poor are already overly burdened by our criminal justice system.<\/p>\n

Forcing them into a system that has discriminated against them for decades \u2013 and then charging <\/em>them for it \u2013 is an injustice.<\/p>\n

ECONOMIC FAIRNESS: CIVIL FINES<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

We also need to address how the city sets fines on civil offenses.<\/p>\n

Much like court fees, these fines have a disproportionate impact on the poor.<\/p>\n

So we will pass legislation supporting \u201cDay Fines\u201d.<\/p>\n

This pilot will establish a new fine structure for certain civil offenses – one that is tied to a person\u2019s means.<\/p>\n

The \u201cday fine\u201d concept is simple: fines are based on a percentage a person\u2019s daily income.<\/p>\n

It will not over-punish the poor, and it will not under-punish the rich.<\/p>\n

It will be fair.<\/p>\n

The day fine system is widely used in Europe, and it has even been used here in this City, in a successful pilot on Staten Island in the 1990s.<\/p>\n

It worked.<\/p>\n

The time is ripe to bring this progressive idea back to our City.<\/p>\n

JUSTICE FOR DRIVING OFFENSES<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

Now, economic fairness isn\u2019t just limited to fines and fees.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also at the core of one of the most commonly charged crimes in our system.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a fact that may surprise many of you.<\/p>\n

The fourth most charged crime in our city is driving with a suspended license.<\/p>\n

Over 15,000 people every year are fingerprinted, booked, and charged with this quote-unquote crime.<\/p>\n

The crime in most of these cases is the failure to pay a moving violation.<\/p>\n

Hasn\u2019t everyone forgotten to pay a bill once or twice?<\/p>\n

For some people, a fine represents a difficult economic burden.<\/p>\n

Should people be arrested for this?<\/p>\n

Of course not.<\/p>\n

People can lose their jobs.<\/p>\n

Or end up deported by ICE.<\/p>\n

How is this fair?<\/p>\n

Even worse, enforcement is often targeted at people of color.<\/p>\n

76% of the drivers in our City are white.<\/p>\n

87% of the people arrested for driving with a suspended license are non-white.<\/p>\n

This is outrageous!<\/p>\n

This practice must come to an end.<\/p>\n

Now, let\u2019s be clear.<\/p>\n

Everyone should<\/em> pay their fines for a moving violation \u2013 but does the punishment for not paying really need to be criminal charges?<\/p>\n

Or Jail?<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s send some of these cases to DMV court, where they belong.<\/p>\n

Not every case \u2013 just those with 1 or 2 unpaid tickets.<\/p>\n

It also wouldn\u2019t apply to those with too many moving violations;<\/p>\n

are charged with reckless driving, or involved in a crash.<\/p>\n

They should be off the road.<\/p>\n

I am fully committed to eradicating the culture of dangerous driving that continues to permeate this city.<\/p>\n

What I\u2019m proposing has nothing to do with bad driving.<\/p>\n

It has to do with bad policy that criminalizes poverty.<\/p>\n

Where reckless driving is occurring, we need to impose real accountability.<\/p>\n

Too often I read about serious cases of dangerous driving where the result is little to no consequences.<\/p>\n

We have already called for the expansion of the NYPD\u2019s Collision Investigation Squad and evidence collection teams.<\/p>\n

But we need to do more.<\/p>\n

That is why the City Council will work with advocates like Transportation Alternatives and Families for Safe Streets to create a working group on Justice and Accountability for Dangerous Driving.<\/p>\n

I want to thank representatives from these organizations for all of your advocacy, and for being here today.<\/p>\n

This is the kind of justice reform we need.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s end needless prosecutions for minor cases of driving with a suspended license, and shift those resources towards more serious cases of reckless driving.<\/p>\n

JUSTICE FOR PERSONS INVOLVED IN THE SEX TRADE <\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

We also need to take a closer look at another difficult issue that results in needless prosecution: the criminalization of people involved in the sex trade.<\/p>\n

I think we can all agree: what you choose to wear should never be an indicator of criminality.<\/p>\n

Yet that\u2019s exactly what the state does with its archaic and wrongheaded law that penalizes what is allegedly loitering for the purposes of prostitution.<\/p>\n

This means the police monitor the way people dress under the guise that certain clothes make you \u201clook\u201d like you\u2019re selling sex.<\/p>\n

Arrests for this offense disproportionately target transgender women and women of color.<\/p>\n

The number of these arrests more than doubled between 2017 and 2018.<\/p>\n

This is blatant misogyny. This law must be repealed immediately.<\/p>\n

But there is much more we should do to address this issue.<\/p>\n

Many people caught up in the criminal justice system are poor women of color who are engaged in \u201csurvival sex.\u201d<\/p>\n

A significant number identify as survivors of sex trafficking and have suffered severe trauma.<\/p>\n

They should not be arrested and they should not be prosecuted for selling sex.<\/p>\n

This doesn\u2019t mean I support legalizing the sex trade.<\/p>\n

But persons involved in the sex trade should be given the services they say they need.<\/p>\n

I will fund the creation of a comprehensive, wrap around support center for those who are engaging in survival sex or who have been trafficked.<\/p>\n

This center will provide daily necessities, such as meals and showers, medical care, legal assistance, mental health services, and job training.<\/p>\n

I will also support community-based organizations to hire and train outreach workers.<\/p>\n

The workers will help those engaged in the sex trade access counseling, medical services, and housing assistance.<\/p>\n

We must provide services and assistance to persons engaged in the sex trade, and end needless criminalization and prosecution.<\/p>\n

TAKING A HARD LOOK AT OUR POLICIES<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

Because no matter what you are charged with, it is now a well-established fact that a summons, arrest, or criminal conviction has consequences that could follow a person for life.<\/p>\n

The City Council has already addressed this issue in numerous ways, including passing our \u201cBan the Box\u201d legislation to reduce the impact of a criminal conviction on employment.<\/p>\n

But we still need to take a hard look at our own policies that affect those with criminal convictions, particularly those with drug convictions.<\/p>\n

Some of these policies certainly make sense – nobody wants the City to hire a bus driver who has DUI convictions.<\/p>\n

However, some policies may be overly punitive.<\/p>\n

NYCHA, for example, can evict someone or deny them housing if they have even a misdemeanor drug conviction.<\/p>\n

NYCHA has every right to ensure that drugs are not sold in public housing.<\/p>\n

But what is a person recovering from substance use supposed to do?<\/p>\n

We must make absolutely sure that our policies do not stop people from getting the services or housing they need.<\/p>\n

I support the full legalization of marijuana and have been advocating for the State to end this criminalization once and for all.<\/p>\n

The reality is that the use of marijuana is already legal in this city<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re white.<\/p>\n

Over 90% of those arrested for marijuana are black or Latinx.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s time to legalize it for everyone.<\/p>\n

But the City Council is not sitting around waiting for the state to act.<\/p>\n

Last month, we passed legislation banning pre-employment drug testing for marijuana, ending a significant barrier to employment.<\/p>\n

We will continue this work by requiring an audit of all city agencies to examine their practices.<\/p>\n

The audit will identify points where drug convictions result in the denial of services or any other negative consequences.<\/p>\n

We will examine which of these policies make sense, and which prevent people from moving on with their lives.<\/p>\n

Recovering from addiction is hard enough as it is. We need to do everything we can to make sure we\u2019re not making it even harder.<\/p>\n

CONCLUSION<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019d like to end on a personal note.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m always very open about my prior struggles with addiction.<\/p>\n

When I was abusing alcohol and cocaine, my life very easily could have taken a different turn.<\/p>\n

Two weeks ago, I saw two men of color sent to jail for having the same amount of drugs I used to have on a regular basis.<\/p>\n

But I was never caught with drugs.<\/p>\n

Nobody ever looked.<\/p>\n

If they had, I honestly don\u2019t know where I\u2019d be today.<\/p>\n

I might not have a job.<\/p>\n

I might not be sober.<\/p>\n

But that\u2019s not how it works for someone who looks like me.<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t have a criminal record.<\/p>\n

I was allowed to learn from my mistakes.<\/p>\n

I was allowed the opportunity to get sober.<\/p>\n

I was allowed to grow into the man that I am today.<\/p>\n

I feel very lucky to be standing here after all the mistakes I made.<\/p>\n

But my story isn\u2019t about luck.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s about privilege.<\/p>\n

I wasn\u2019t treated as a criminal because I was an addict.<\/p>\n

I wasn\u2019t targeted by law enforcement.<\/p>\n

I wasn\u2019t subjected to brutal violence on Rikers Island<\/p>\n

Many, many Black and Latinx New Yorkers do not have that privilege.<\/p>\n

I want a criminal justice system governed by compassion and common sense.<\/p>\n

We know that this approach works because we\u2019ve started it.<\/p>\n

You \u2013 so many of the people in this room \u2013 you all started it.<\/p>\n

Crime has continued to fall.<\/p>\n

Now let\u2019s go further.<\/p>\n

We can change this system.<\/p>\n

All of us here.<\/p>\n

The formerly incarcerated.<\/p>\n

The faith leaders.<\/p>\n

The defenders.<\/p>\n

The prosecutors.<\/p>\n

The judges.<\/p>\n

The grassroots advocates.<\/p>\n

The police.<\/p>\n

The service providers.<\/p>\n

The moms and dads.<\/p>\n

The young people.<\/p>\n

All of us.<\/p>\n

Together, we can create a justice system that is worthy of our great city.<\/p>\n

Thank you.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

Criminal Justice in NYC<\/h4>\n
<\/i>
\nJail Population
\n90%<\/strong>
\nBlack & Latinx<\/small><\/p>\n
\n

<\/i>
\nStop & Frisk
\n90%<\/strong>
\nBlack & Latinx<\/small><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Go Back to Main Page <\/i><\/a>
\nDownload the speech <\/i> <\/i><\/a>
\nContribute on Github <\/i><\/a>
\nData Team Home <\/i><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

New York City Council Speaker Corey Johnson is committed to criminal justice reform<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":134,"featured_media":545,"parent":216,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-nomenu.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1412","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/council.nyc.gov\/data\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1412","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/council.nyc.gov\/data\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/council.nyc.gov\/data\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/council.nyc.gov\/data\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/134"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/council.nyc.gov\/data\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1412"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/council.nyc.gov\/data\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1412\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/council.nyc.gov\/data\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/216"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/council.nyc.gov\/data\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/545"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/council.nyc.gov\/data\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1412"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}