{"id":1804,"date":"2019-09-03T18:01:18","date_gmt":"2019-09-03T18:01:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/council.nyc.gov\/press\/?p=1804"},"modified":"2019-09-03T18:01:18","modified_gmt":"2019-09-03T18:01:18","slug":"speaker-corey-johnson-and-committee-on-criminal-justice-chair-keith-powers-announce-13-5-million-for-alternatives-to-incarceration-programs-to-help-reduce-the-citys-jail-population","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/council.nyc.gov\/press\/2019\/09\/03\/1804\/","title":{"rendered":"SPEAKER COREY JOHNSON AND COMMITTEE ON CRIMINAL JUSTICE CHAIR KEITH POWERS ANNOUNCE $13.5 MILLION FOR ALTERNATIVES TO INCARCERATION PROGRAMS TO HELP REDUCE THE CITY\u2019S JAIL POPULATION"},"content":{"rendered":"

New York, NY<\/strong> \u2013 Today, City Council Speaker Corey Johnson and Committee on
\nCriminal Justice Chair Keith Powers announced that $13.5 million is designated
\nin this year\u2019s fiscal budget to fund and support alternatives to incarceration
\n(ATI) programs in an effort to continue to reduce the city\u2019s jail population.
\nAs part of the City Council\u2019s push for parole reform and its commitment to
\ncreate post-release opportunities, the money will help fund programs that
\nprovide individuals involved with the criminal justice system with a wide array
\nof services to help them stay out of prison, particularly for minor or
\ntechnical parole violations. <\/p>\n

Nearly 8% of the city\u2019s jail population are
\npeople who violated minor parole requirements, like failing a drug test or
\nmissing a curfew. While the State Legislature considers the Less is More
\nAct, a proposal that would reduce the number of individuals detained
\nfor technical and low-level parole violations, the City Council is supporting programs that
\nprovide New Yorkers on parole with the services they need to go back
\nto their communities, including job placement, vocational training, substance
\nabuse counseling, and short and long-term housing.<\/p>\n

By expanding ATI programs, judges will have better alternatives
\nto keep individuals out of jail, including programs that allow parole
\njudges to help parolees get services they need to avoid returning to jail.
\nAdditionally, the Council will fund programs that will help determine when
\nindividuals arrested for minor parole violations should be released back to
\ntheir communities and not spend any unnecessary time in jail.  <\/p>\n

Funding will establish new ATI programming; support operations at
\na new Felony ATI Court Part in Brooklyn Supreme Court; and offer
\njustice-involved individuals with a pathway to higher education.<\/p>\n

For Fiscal Year 2020, the Council will fund more than 20
\ncommunity-oriented service providers.  <\/p>\n

\u201cSending people back to jail because of technical, non-criminal
\nparole violations is senseless. It is unfair to take away one\u2019s freedom just
\nbecause the person missed a curfew, failed a drug test or missed an appointment
\nwith a parole officer. It is inconceivable that we have reduced the
\nCity\u2019s jail population, yet the number of people behind bars for technical
\nparole violations is increasing. As we continue to work to close Rikers
\nand reform our criminal justice system, we need to
\nprovide parolees with the support they need to return to their
\ncommunities and thrive. I commend Council Member Powers and the entire City
\nCouncil for the tireless work and leadership in our efforts to reform the
\ncriminal justice system and make it more just and fair,\u201d said Speaker
\nCorey Johnson<\/strong>.    <\/p>\n

\u201cParole was designed to keep people out of detention, not put
\npeople back in it. In order to ensure that we close Rikers and transform our
\ncriminal justice system, we must stop incarcerating people for minor parole
\nviolations. This $13.5 million commitment will go a long way toward
\naccomplishing that goal. I want to thank Speaker Johnson and my colleagues for
\ntheir dedication to establishing a more humane justice system,\u201d said Council
\nMember Keith Powers, Chair of the Committee on Criminal Justice.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThe NYC ATI and Reentry Coalition commend the New York City
\nCouncil for its long-standing commitment to funding alternatives to
\nincarceration in NYC. Today\u2019s announcement reflects the Council\u2019s ongoing
\nleadership in reforming New York City\u2019s justice system. Jail closure can\u2019t
\nhappen without expanding ATI and reentry services and the Coalition plays a
\ncritical role in how the city reimagines public safety. Coalition members have
\nproven track records of providing services to break the devastating cycle of
\ncrime, incarceration, and recidivism, and strengthen families and communities
\ncity-wide. These programs also help to save millions in tax dollars every year
\nand build a more equitable criminal justice system for our City overall,\u201d said
\nTracie Gardner of the Legal Action Center and Coordinator for the NYC ATI and
\nReentry Coalition<\/strong>, composed of Bronx Connect, CASES, College and Community
\nFellowship, Center for Employment Opportunities, Center for Community
\nAlternatives, EAC Network, Fortune Society, Greenburger Center for Social and
\nCriminal Justice, Legal Action Center, Osborne Association and Women\u2019s Prison
\nAssociation. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe City Council\u2019s
\nsupport for life-changing programs that decrease recidivism and offer more New
\nYorkers a way out of the criminal justice system is essential. The people of
\nour City owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to Speaker Corey Johnson and
\nCriminal Justice Committee Chair Keith Powers for their bold progressive
\nleadership in securing increased funding in the City budget for programs which
\nprovide a solid platform to New Yorkers involved in the criminal justice system
\nto rebuild their lives and strengthen families and neighborhoods. GOSO\u2019s
\nholistic approach of offering mental health, educational, vocational and job
\nreadiness programming dramatically reduces the number of young people who are
\nincarcerated and helps to ensure that they are working and\/or in school. As the
\ndemand for resources like these continues to rise, criminal justice reform
\npolicies which put robust reentry services at the forefront are more vital than
\never. The City Council\u2019s leadership under Speaker Johnson and Council Member
\nPowers in this arena is among the most innovative and practical in the nation,\u201d
\nsaid Getting Out and Staying Out President and CEO Mark L. Goldsmith<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are thankful to New York City Council Speaker Corey Johnson
\nfor believing in alternatives to incarceration. Young people who grow up poor
\nin New York City may have limited choices, face barriers, and are more likely
\nto make decisions that could land them in a revolving-door cycle of poverty and
\nincarceration. With support from the Speaker’s Office, we at Avenues for
\nJustice impact hundreds of youth each year who are getting the second chance
\nthey deserve, and whose potential would be wasted without alternative
\nsentencing,\u201d said Judith Evans Smith, Chief Operating Officer, Avenues for
\nJustice (AFJ).<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThe Fortune Society is committed to being a strong partner in
\ndriving down incarceration while making sure that New York remains the safest
\nlarge city in America. We are grateful for the strong support we receive from
\nSpeaker Johnson and the City Council.  The significant appropriations we
\nhave received from the Council through the Alternatives to Incarceration
\nInitiative will fund important programs that will reduce unnecessary
\nincarceration in the current year while working toward the longer term goal of
\nclosing Rikers Island.  The funding will strengthen New York City\u2019s
\nnational leadership in reducing both crime and incarceration. Fortune Society
\nis also proud to be a part of the larger ATI Reentry Coalition which has worked
\nfor decades to reduce over-reliance on incarceration and help people
\nsuccessfully reenter society,\u201d said JoAnne Page, President and CEO of The
\nFortune Society<\/strong>. <\/p>\n

\u201cAt this critical moment for reducing the number of people held at
\nRikers Island, we are grateful to the City Council and the leadership of
\nSpeaker Corey Johnson for significant support of and belief in alternatives to
\nincarceration and parole revocation. The City’s increased funding will allow
\nmembers of the ATI\/Reentry Coalition to continue to work with NYC towards a
\nsmaller, safer, and fairer criminal legal system. Osborne is especially
\ngrateful for this dedicated funding to work with the more than 600 people who
\nare held in NYC for parole violations to reduce the average daily population at
\nRikers Island, support individuals in their effort to restore parole
\neligibility, and encourage long term reentry success through connections
\nto community-based programs and service,\u201d said Osborne Association President
\nand CEO Elizabeth Gaynes<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe funding announced today underlines the Council\u2019s commitment
\nto continuing to innovate toward a fairer and more effective justice system for
\nall New Yorkers. The Council\u2019s continued support has been invaluable to the
\nCenter for Court Innovation\u2019s success improving public safety, reducing the use
\nof incarceration, and promoting healthier neighborhoods,\u201d said Greg Berman,
\ndirector, Center for Court Innovation<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\u201cBrooklyn Defender Services
\nis very pleased that the New York City Council is supporting Alternative to
\nIncarceration funding. Brooklyn residents who get arrested will benefit greatly
\nfrom appropriate programming that both reduces the use of incarceration and
\nalso provides useful services that can turn a bad moment in their lives into an
\nopportunity. In our experience, many people are caught up in the criminal legal
\nsystem because they are young, addicted or living in poverty.  Alternative
\noptions that address these underlying issues will help New York City close
\nRikers Island and reduce greatly the number of people that face the horrible
\nand traumatic experience of incarceration. Thank you to Speaker Corey Johnson
\nand the Brooklyn Delegation for their support for closing Rikers Island and
\ncreating humane options for the community we serve,\u201d said Lisa
\nSchreibersdorf, Executive Director of Brooklyn Defenders Services, a public
\ndefense organization in Kings County<\/strong>. <\/p>\n

\u201cThis year’s expansion of funding for Alternatives to
\nIncarceration programs reflects the New York City Council’s commitment to
\nraising the standard of living for all New Yorkers and to creating a fair and
\nequitable community. The HOPE Program is proud to serve as an ATI partner in
\norder to divert individuals from detention or incarceration to jobs, thereby
\navoiding recidivism; contributing to their families; supporting local
\nbusinesses; and through our green jobs training programs, advancing the
\nsustainability of the City at large,\u201d said Jennifer Mitchell, Executive
\nDirector at HOPE Program<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Women\u2019s Prison Association (WPA) is thankful
\nfor the City Council\u2019s continued support of our highly effective advocacy and
\nalternative to incarceration services for women. This expanded funding will
\nensure that WPA provides more women with individualized, gender-aware support
\nas they heal from trauma and violence, without exacerbating those experiences
\non Rikers Island. We are proud to be a part of New York City\u2019s innovative
\nefforts to end mass incarceration and support women and families with
\nconstructive, community-based responses,\u201d said Georgia Lerner, Executive
\nDirector, Women\u2019s Prison Association (WPA)<\/strong>.  <\/p>\n

\u201cWe are most grateful to Speaker Johnson and all the members of
\nthe City Council for the ongoing support that Network Support Services has
\nreceived for our ATI programming. The generous grant for 2019 – 2020
\nenables us to serve 50% more men and women; creating productive and connected
\nmembers of society. With your continued support, we will close the gap
\nfrom our 8% recidivism rate to 0%,\u201d said Thorin Daye, Executive Director,
\nNetwork Support Services<\/strong>. <\/em>\n<\/p>\n

\u201cSCO Family of Services applauds New York Council Speaker Corey
\nJohnson for his leadership and support of the Alternative to Incarceration
\ninitiative. This funding has enabled youth in our Brooklyn based programs to
\ndevelop positive relationships with local law enforcement, learn the challenges
\nof law enforcement jobs, and enable local police precincts to meet their
\nneighbors in our residential and community based programs. These interactions
\nhave helped to break down stigma between these communities and forge meaningful
\npartnerships between local police and the communities they serve,\u201d said
\nKeith Little, President & CEO of SCO Family of Services<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Council’s leadership and support for alternatives to
\nincarceration and community-based programs have transformed lives and
\nstrengthened communities. We are grateful for the Council’s support for the
\nInstitute for Transformative Mentoring, which has enabled us to offer training
\nand support to credible messengers from more than 30 organizations,\u201d said
\nKristin Morse, Executive Director, Center for New York City Affairs at The New
\nSchool<\/strong>. <\/p>\n

\u201cLaudable efforts to reform
\nbail, speedy trial and discovery are huge victories, but must be accompanied by
\ncommunity alternatives brought to scale. The Speaker\u2019s leadership in this
\nregard will enhance the public safety of every New York City
\nneighborhood,\u201d said David Condliffe, Executive Director, Center for
\nCommunity Alternatives<\/strong>. <\/p>\n

###<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

New York, NY<\/strong> \u2013 Today, City Council Speaker Corey Johnson and Committee on
\nCriminal Justice Chair Keith Powers announced that $13.5 million is designated
\nin this year\u2019s fiscal budget to fund and support alternatives to incarceration
\n(ATI) programs in an effort to continue to reduce the city\u2019s jail population.
\nAs part of the City Council\u2019s push for parole reform and its commitment to
\ncreate post-release opportunities, the money will help fund programs that
\nprovide individuals involved with the criminal justice system with a wide array
\nof services to help them stay out of prison, particularly for minor or
\ntechnical parole violations.<\/p>\n

…<\/p>\n

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