0:00:14 19 sec
Procedure
Council staff opens hearing and announces housekeeping rules
Council staff welcomes attendees to the Committee on Criminal Justice hearing, asks phones be silenced, and reminds attendees not to approach the dais.
New York City Council
Committee on Criminal Justice
Oversight - Improving Court Operations to Reduce the Jail Population
Jun 25, 2026 · 10:00 AM · 3 hr 5 min
Hearing
Meeting chapters
Read summaries and jump into the video at the segment start.
0:00:33 40 sec
Remarks
Chair Brooks-Powers introduces hearing on improving court operations to reduce jail population
Chair Selvena Brooks-Powers welcomes everyone to the oversight hearing on improving court operations to reduce the jail population, noting Judge Zayas's participation and the importance of case processing speed for closing Rikers Island.
0:01:13 1 min 22 sec
Remarks
Chair Brooks-Powers on pretrial detention and the human cost of case delays
Brooks-Powers highlights that over 80% of city jail detainees are pretrial, and references Kalief Browder's story to underscore the human consequences of prolonged pretrial detention and delayed court proceedings.
0:02:34 36 sec
Remarks
Chair Brooks-Powers on impact of delays on victims and community confidence
Brooks-Powers discusses how delayed justice erodes public confidence, especially in communities with frequent minor offense consequences, leaving everyone less safe.
0:03:10 22 sec
Remarks
Chair Brooks-Powers outlines hearing topics: discovery, scheduling, interagency coordination
Brooks-Powers details the hearing's focus areas: discovery compliance, court scheduling, evidence production, interagency coordination between OCA, NYPD, and MOCJ, and testimony from legal service providers and community organizations.
0:03:32 42 sec
Remarks
Chair Brooks-Powers on discovery reforms and trial readiness
Brooks-Powers explains the hearing will examine how discovery obligations from 2019 reforms and subsequent amendments affect trial readiness and case resolution timelines.
0:04:14 1 min 5 sec
Remarks
Chair Brooks-Powers thanks committee staff including departing members
Brooks-Powers thanks senior counsel Jeremy Whiteman on his final hearing, policy analyst Chad Benjamin, financial analyst Julian Martin on his last hearing, communications director Kiera Powell, and chief of staff Renee Taylor.
0:05:19 37 sec
Procedure
Judge Joseph Zayas sworn in before committee testimony
Council staff swears in Judge Joseph A. Zayas, who affirms to tell the truth before the committee.
0:05:57 1 min 6 sec
Agency Testimony
Judge Zayas on importance of efficient criminal case processing
Judge Zayas opens by emphasizing his deep commitment to efficient case management, drawing on his experience as a trial and administrative judge, and explains why serious criminal cases cannot routinely languish in courts.
0:07:02 1 min 15 sec
Agency Testimony
Judge Zayas on problem-solving courts and diversion opportunities
Zayas highlights the importance of efficiency for problem-solving courts providing diversion for substance use, mental health, human trafficking victims, adolescents, veterans, and others, noting faster engagement improves intervention effectiveness.
0:08:17 35 sec
Agency Testimony
Judge Zayas on court system initiatives and need for stakeholder cooperation
Zayas outlines court system efforts to address case delays and suggests ways other justice stakeholders must step up to achieve the goal of reducing the jail population to around 4,000 for borough-based jails.
0:08:52 1 min 48 sec
Agency Testimony
Judge Zayas on factors beyond court control causing case delays
Zayas details factors outside court control that delay cases: prosecution discovery timelines, defense review obligations, competency restoration waits, and private defense attorneys managing excessive caseloads without hiring associates.
0:10:40 1 min 58 sec
Agency Testimony
Judge Zayas on scheduling orders and proactive case management
Zayas describes new scheduling orders in NYC Supreme Courts setting deadlines for discovery production and defense issues, with court attorney-led conferences to resolve disputes efficiently, piloted in Brooklyn with nearly 100% increase in dispositions.
0:12:38 1 min 41 sec
Agency Testimony
Judge Zayas on infrastructure for complex cases and problem-solving courts
Zayas explains dedicated court attorneys for homicides, felony sex crimes, and gang prosecutions, plus a 30% increase in problem-solving court staff statewide, serving over 31,000 New Yorkers last year.
0:14:20 1 min 8 sec
Agency Testimony
Judge Zayas on interagency coordination and legislative successes
Zayas describes dedicated positions coordinating with DOC on defendant production, regular meetings with City Hall, a passed state bill on sentencing flexibility, and rollout of electronic filing in Supreme Courts.
0:15:27 1 min 16 sec
Agency Testimony
Judge Zayas on positive disposition trends and clearance rates
Zayas reports every borough had more dispositions in 2025 than 2024, with Brooklyn up 15% and citywide up 10%; 2026 dispositions up 11% with a 125% clearance rate, and old incarcerated cases below 500 for the first time since 2020.
0:16:43 1 min 28 sec
Agency Testimony
Judge Zayas on discovery compliance challenges and 20-day deadline
Zayas discusses how NYC's 20-day discovery deadline for incarcerated defendants remains an aspiration, noting cases rarely resolve before discovery is complete and urging a serious conversation about when compliance will become the norm.
0:18:11 59 sec
Agency Testimony
Judge Zayas on plea bargaining and prosecutorial practices
Zayas notes 98% of criminal convictions result from guilty pleas, yet prosecutors often don't make plea offers timely, and calls for district attorneys to commit to earlier plea bargaining in most cases.
0:19:10 1 min 3 sec
Agency Testimony
Judge Zayas on assigned counsel plan and $50 million funding gap
Zayas highlights a NYC Bar Association report finding the Assigned Counsel Plan is understaffed and under-resourced, with MOCJ failing to access over $50 million allocated since 2018, and urges the new mayoral administration to address this.
0:20:13 40 sec
Agency Testimony
Judge Zayas on public defender cooperation and city funding for services
Zayas encourages public defenders to support case processing initiatives and calls on the city to adequately fund programs and services for problem-solving court referrals, emphasizing expansion requires corresponding service provider capacity.
0:20:53 1 min 1 sec
Agency Testimony
Judge Zayas on optimism for collaborative case processing improvements
Zayas expresses optimism about continued improvements, citing commitment from the court system, new mayoral administration, city council, five district attorneys, and defense bar, and offers to answer questions.
0:21:54 3 min 10 sec
Remarks
Chair Brooks-Powers reads remarks from Councilmember Althea Stevens on youth justice
Brooks-Powers reads remarks from Councilmember Stevens, chair of the Committee on Children and Youth, emphasizing that reducing incarceration must include young people and addressing the youth justice system continuum from juvenile facilities to adult detention.
0:25:05 1 min 20 sec
Q&A
Chair Brooks-Powers questions Judge Zayas on discovery compliance with state law timeframes
Brooks-Powers asks whether discovery materials are being served to defense counsel within statutory timeframes. Zayas says clearly they are not, with compliance taking roughly twice the required time.
0:26:24 3 min 5 sec
Q&A
Chair Brooks-Powers asks for county-by-county discovery deadline breakdown
Brooks-Powers requests county-by-county data on discovery deadline adherence. Zayas discusses the onerous nature of discovery law, coordination challenges with NYPD, and agrees to provide the breakdown.
0:29:30 1 min 32 sec
Q&A
Judge Zayas provides county-by-county discovery compliance data
Zayas shares certificate of compliance timing data: Bronx 130 days average, Kings 74 days, New York 145 days, Queens 60 days, Richmond 46 days, noting these exclude complex homicide cases.
0:31:02 2 min 14 sec
Q&A
Chair Brooks-Powers questions supplemental discovery and certificate of compliance issues
Brooks-Powers raises defense provider concerns about prosecutors filing certificates of compliance without turning over all materials, then serving supplemental discovery later. Zayas acknowledges this as problematic and encourages earlier piecemeal disclosure.
0:33:16 19 sec
Q&A
Chair Brooks-Powers asks about sanctions for late-produced discovery
Brooks-Powers asks how often judges impose sanctions for late discovery. Zayas is unsure if OCA tracks this but offers to provide data if available.
0:33:34 1 min 28 sec
Q&A
Chair Brooks-Powers questions NYC comparison to national case disposition standards
Brooks-Powers cites National Center for State Courts standards (75% of felonies disposed within 90 days) and asks how NYC compares. Zayas says NYC clearly does not meet these, noting NYC's vastly different caseloads and robust defense bar.
0:35:02 1 min 39 sec
Q&A
Chair Brooks-Powers asks how OCA changes judicial behavior on case processing
Brooks-Powers asks how OCA works to change judge behavior given judicial independence. Zayas describes strongly encouraging proactive case management, hiring law clerks for discovery dispute conferences, and devoting resources to resolve issues.
0:36:41 1 min 9 sec
Q&A
Chair Brooks-Powers asks what DAs and defense bar can do now to speed dispositions
Brooks-Powers asks for specific steps DAs and defense can take. Zayas recommends active participation in discovery conferences, having high-level DA executives available with authority to resolve cases, and notes DAs are doing this.
0:37:50 2 min 21 sec
Q&A
Chair Brooks-Powers questions early pretrial suppression hearings and data
Brooks-Powers references Zayas's NY Law Journal piece on early suppression hearings and asks what steps have been taken and whether hearings are occurring earlier. Zayas describes the Queens model, doubling of hearings in most counties, and links to increased dispositions.
0:40:11 2 min 24 sec
Q&A
Councilmember Morano questions Judge Zayas on 4,000 jail population goal vs. justice
Morano asks whether focusing on a predetermined jail population of 4,000 risks letting capacity dictate criminal justice policy. Zayas says it's aspirational and both goals can coexist without short-circuiting justice.
0:42:34 2 min 49 sec
Q&A
Councilmember Morano questions judge assignments and criminal law experience
Morano raises concerns about civil court judges without criminal law experience being assigned to criminal court, especially arraignment parts. Zayas says criminal law experience is weighted heavily and such assignments only happen when no other option exists.
0:45:23 1 min 38 sec
Q&A
Councilmember Morano asks Judge Zayas for single most impactful reform
Morano asks what one reform outside the courts would have the greatest impact. Zayas says empowering judges to move cases to trial over objections from prosecutors or defense attorneys.
0:47:01 43 sec
Remarks
Chair Brooks-Powers clarifies hearing purpose addresses victims and Rikers closure
Brooks-Powers clarifies that the hearing's purpose also helps victims, and that Rikers is not designed to be a prison, so moving court processes along helps those in custody either get released or move to state facilities.
0:47:44 3 min 1 sec
Q&A
Councilmember Brewer questions Judge Zayas on Rikers-to-court transportation issues
Brewer raises concerns about detainees not getting to court from Rikers, citing past investigations. Zayas says OCA tracks defendant production, has liaisons with DOC in every county, and can share production statistics.
0:50:45 36 sec
Q&A
Councilmember Brewer asks whether court production and liaison system needs improvement
Brewer asks if the transportation and liaison system needs improvement. Zayas says no system is perfect and they are always striving to improve.
0:51:22 1 min 6 sec
Q&A
Councilmember Brewer questions court technology and electronic filing status
Brewer asks about technology issues and e-filing progress. Zayas says e-filing took too long but is rolling out in Supreme Courts, with three counties done or in process, and lower criminal court planned next.
0:52:28 1 min 58 sec
Q&A
Councilmember Brewer asks about video technology between Rikers and courts
Brewer asks about video proceedings between Rikers and courts, noting past technical failures. Zayas acknowledges issues with DOC computer systems causing virtual proceeding disruptions but says improvements are being made.
0:54:26 1 min 29 sec
Q&A
Councilmember Cabán questions Judge Zayas on bail increases at Supreme Court arraignment
Cabán raises the issue of judges increasing bail at Supreme Court arraignment for defendants who appeared as required, asking what OCA is doing to stop judges from abusing bail power. Zayas says he cannot direct judges on individual cases but notes indictment may bring more serious charges.
0:55:54 1 min 42 sec
Q&A
Councilmember Cabán presses Judge Zayas on OCA guidance on bail statute compliance
Cabán argues the bail statute is clear that bail is to ensure court appearance and the defendant is present. Zayas explains judicial independence and discretion. Cabán concludes OCA is not leading judges to follow the bail statute.
0:57:36 1 min 8 sec
Q&A
Councilmember Cabán questions partially secured bond processing on nights and weekends
Cabán asks about families unable to pay partially secured bonds on nights and weekends, forcing people to wait. Zayas confirms a plan is in place to train clerks to handle these on weekends and holidays in each county.
0:58:44 1 min 30 sec
Q&A
Councilmember Cabán questions out-of-state fugitive warrant training and release
Cabán asks about judge training on out-of-state fugitive warrants from neighboring states, noting they take months to resolve. Zayas says training covers exercising discretion including release options, and offers to check for data.
1:00:14 3 min 40 sec
Q&A
Councilmember Salaam questions Judge Zayas on jail population projections and case management impact
Salaam cites DOC projections of 8,800 by June 2027 and asks what reduction Zayas projects. Zayas questions the projection, notes current population is 6,000 and trending down, and says clearance rates are improving with dispositions exceeding filings.
1:03:53 3 min 6 sec
Q&A
Councilmember Salaam questions court appearance intervals and bed capacity impact
Salaam cites data that reducing court appearance intervals by seven days could free 441 beds and asks about current intervals and targets. Zayas explains adjournment timing depends on case stage and reasons, and shorter dates matter most when cases are trial-ready.
1:06:59 30 sec
Q&A
Councilmember Salaam questions citywide calendaring system and measurable changes
Salaam asks about measurable changes from the October 2024 citywide calendaring system and off-calendaring conferences. Zayas says disposition times have been reduced and offers to provide specific numbers.
1:07:29 2 min 2 sec
Q&A
Chair Brooks-Powers questions Judge Zayas on firm trial dates and case management backstops
Brooks-Powers asks about establishing firm trial dates to prevent cases from lingering. Zayas explains trial dates are set once discovery and hearings are complete, with cross-county coordination prioritizing oldest incarcerated cases.
1:09:31 53 sec
Q&A
Chair Brooks-Powers asks about state law changes for judicial calendar management
Brooks-Powers asks if Zayas would advocate for state law changes giving judges more latitude. Zayas says the issue is appellate court precedent, not statute, that prevents judges from moving cases to trial over prosecutor objections.
1:10:24 1 min 41 sec
Q&A
Chair Brooks-Powers questions speedy trial clock for homicide cases
Brooks-Powers asks about a speedy trial clock for homicides. Zayas hasn't considered it but emphasizes the need for more trained homicide prosecutors, noting the court is always ready when both parties answer ready.
1:12:06 1 min 12 sec
Q&A
Chair Brooks-Powers questions community programming capacity for court referrals
Brooks-Powers asks about reserving community program capacity for court referrals. Zayas strongly agrees, saying it would reduce people waiting on Rikers for beds and that increased city funding would move the needle.
1:13:18 1 min 13 sec
Q&A
Chair Brooks-Powers questions treatment court assessment delays
Brooks-Powers asks about delays in treatment court assessments. Zayas says the court has staff ready but lacks enough clinicians for psychosocial evaluations, and increasing those providers would help.
1:14:31 34 sec
Procedure
Chair Brooks-Powers concludes first panel and thanks Judge Zayas
Brooks-Powers thanks Judge Zayas for his candid and thoughtful testimony, concluding the first panel.
1:15:05 2 min 15 sec
Procedure
Chair Brooks-Powers calls up second panel: MOCJ, NYPD, and notes DA absence
Brooks-Powers calls up Deanna Logan (MOCJ Director), Nora Daniel (MOCJ Chief of Staff), Andrew Batello (NYPD), noting DAs were expected but could not attend, and looks forward to their written testimony.
1:17:20 23 sec
Procedure
Second panel sworn in by council staff
Council staff swears in the second panel, including Deanna Logan, Nora Daniel, and Andrew Batello, who affirm to tell the truth.
1:17:43 3 min 57 sec
Q&A
Chair Brooks-Powers questions MOCJ on $50 million assigned counsel plan funding gap
Brooks-Powers asks why MOCJ failed to access over $50 million allocated to the NYC Assigned Counsel Plan since 2018. Logan explains the historical infrastructure challenges and ongoing efforts to build capacity and access funds.
1:21:41 1 min 30 sec
Q&A
Chair Brooks-Powers presses MOCJ on how much of $50 million is available now
Brooks-Powers asks how much of the $50 million is available to spend. Logan explains the budget allocation process and says they are drawing down available funds, offering to provide full budget details.
1:23:10 9 min 13 sec
Q&A
Chair Brooks-Powers questions NYPD on evidence upload and transfer process to prosecutors
Brooks-Powers asks NYPD to describe the process for officers uploading evidence for transfer to prosecutors. The NYPD representative details personnel structures, escalation paths, and three primary transfer mechanisms: DA portal, ECMS, and evidence.com.
1:32:23 2 min 27 sec
Q&A
Chair Brooks-Powers asks if NYPD tracks timely evidence uploads
Brooks-Powers asks if NYPD tracks whether officers upload evidence timely. The NYPD representative explains the arraignment window dialogue, post-arraignment obstacles, and that DAs utilize designated personnel and discovery liaison units to meet statutory deadlines.
1:34:50 1 min 52 sec
Q&A
Chair Brooks-Powers questions consequences for officers who don't upload evidence timely
Brooks-Powers asks what happens when officers don't upload evidence timely and whether supervisors are informed. The NYPD representative says they investigate issues brought to light by DAs and address them by severity, acknowledging some delays occur due to voluminous or inaccessible materials.
1:36:42 3 min 50 sec
Q&A
Chair Brooks-Powers asks if NYPD definitively meets discovery transmission timeframes
Brooks-Powers asks if NYPD can definitively say it transmits evidence to DAs within statutory timeframes. The NYPD representative says yes with the caveat that materials must be accessible, noting some materials like 911 records have backlogs.
1:40:32 2 min 53 sec
Q&A
Chair Brooks-Powers questions NYPD discovery liaison unit staffing and case limits
Brooks-Powers asks about DLU staffing, civilian assignments, and case type limitations. The NYPD representative details one lieutenant, five sergeants, 25 officers/detectives, all uniform, split across five DA offices, handling proactive cases and DA requests.
1:43:25 1 min 46 sec
Q&A
Chair Brooks-Powers asks if NYPD has met DA requests for additional discovery liaison staff
Brooks-Powers asks if DA requests for additional DLU staff have been met. The NYPD representative says DLU is at its highest staffing ever since 2021, balances operational needs with resources, and will relay the council's concerns to upper executives.
1:45:11 2 min 58 sec
Q&A
Chair Brooks-Powers questions NYPD on giving DAs direct database access
Brooks-Powers asks if NYPD supports giving DAs access to NYPD databases. The NYPD representative says that's above his level but notes existing automated mechanisms already give DAs direct access to case files, and highlights automation improvements.
1:48:09 2 min 11 sec
Q&A
Councilmember Cabán questions NYPD on desk appearance ticket denial documentation
Cabán asks about NYPD policy on documenting reasons for denying DATs and whether DAT investigation forms are still used. The NYPD representative says this is an operational decision outside his scope but offers to follow up with data.
1:50:20 1 min 52 sec
Q&A
Councilmember Cabán presses NYPD on DAT denial data and broken windows policing
Cabán argues DAT policy is central to court efficiency and jail population, citing data that over 90% of the time NYPD finds reasons to avoid field DATs, often citing open summons warrants. The NYPD representative says he will follow up with data.
1:52:12 43 sec
Q&A
Councilmember Cabán questions NYPD on summer foot patrol arrest instructions
Cabán asks about 2,600 extra officers on summer foot patrols and whether they'll be instructed to make arrests for quality-of-life crimes or refer to services. The NYPD representative says this is operational and he cannot speak to it, offering to follow up.
1:52:56 53 sec
Remarks
Councilmember Cabán criticizes NYPD for lack of preparation on arrest practices
Cabán states that not being able to speak about how, when, and why arrests are made means NYPD didn't show up prepared, emphasizing everyone has a role to play in system efficiency.
1:53:49 3 min 27 sec
Q&A
Chair Brooks-Powers questions MOCJ on data management system delays since discovery reform
Brooks-Powers asks why DA and defender data management systems aren't implemented six years after discovery reform. Logan explains vendor capacity challenges, with one DA office served but replication across boroughs failing, and interim workarounds.
1:57:16 1 min 42 sec
Q&A
Chair Brooks-Powers asks MOCJ role in ensuring timely NYPD discovery to DAs
Brooks-Powers asks what role MOCJ plays in ensuring timely discovery from NYPD and other agencies. Logan describes MOCJ as a 'log jam clearer,' citing an example of working with OCME to expedite DNA report reviews through overtime funding.
1:58:58 2 min 41 sec
Q&A
Chair Brooks-Powers questions MOCJ on 730 competency restoration process reforms
Brooks-Powers asks what steps MOCJ has taken to speed up the 730 process for people unfit to stand trial. Jill Starashevsky describes working with OCA to eliminate adjournment delays by requiring clerks to share evaluation reports within 24 hours.
2:01:39 1 min 8 sec
Q&A
Chair Brooks-Powers questions MOCJ on Local Law 139 implementation for ATI assessments
Brooks-Powers asks about implementation of Local Law 139 of 2025 requiring ATI assessments within six weeks. Starashevsky says partners have operationalized it but data isn't available yet, and will share when ready.
2:02:47 2 min 12 sec
Procedure
Chair Brooks-Powers relieves second panel and calls up public defender panel
Brooks-Powers thanks and relieves the MOCJ/NYPD panel, then reads public testimony rules and calls up the public defender panel: Youngmi Lee, Wesley Caines, Elizabeth Fisher, Stan German, and Tina Luongo.
2:04:59 5 min 29 sec
Public Testimony
Tina Luongo (Legal Aid Society) on systemic causes of court delay and resource misallocation
Luongo frames the problem as systemic, noting the absence of DAs and NYPD from meaningful accountability, highlighting public defender attrition due to low pay while NYPD overtime nears a billion dollars, and calling for investment in services and defender salaries.
2:10:28 5 min 39 sec
Public Testimony
Stan German (NY County Defender Services) on 730 crisis, trial capacity, and bail practices in Manhattan
German details the 730 mental health crisis with 5.4-month OMH transfer waits, no-parted trials due to lack of courtrooms, Manhattan sending more people to Rikers than Kings County despite fewer cases, and onerous ATI screening by DA Bragg's office.
2:16:08 6 min 6 sec
Public Testimony
Wesley Caines (Bronx Defenders) on broken windows policing driving jail population
Caines presents data showing low-level arrests up 16.2% from 2024, 55% from 2019, and 193% from 2021, with subway seat arrests up 3,000% and drug possession arrests up 136%, arguing the city must invest in communities rather than policing.
2:22:13 5 min 49 sec
Public Testimony
Elizabeth Fisher (Neighborhood Defender Services) on discovery noncompliance and DA accountability
Fisher describes DAs blatantly disregarding discovery timelines, filing certificates of compliance without obtaining NYPD materials, and argues the only real solution is fewer cases through fewer arrests, calling on the council to pressure DAs to use their existing discretion.
2:28:03 6 min 20 sec
Public Testimony
Youngmi Lee (Brooklyn Defender Services) on bail overuse and partially secured bond issues
Lee presents data showing over 1,400 bail cases with more than half dismissed, judges circumventing partially secured bond requirements, setting default 10% amounts, disapproving sureties based on income alone, and DOC removing online credit card bail options.
2:34:22 4 min 14 sec
Q&A
Chair Brooks-Powers questions public defenders on discovery funding and data management system status
Brooks-Powers asks how defender offices spent discovery implementation funding and the status of data management systems. Each office describes hiring paralegals and discovery staff, investing in cloud storage and security, and notes the shared vendor was problematic.
2:38:36 6 min 22 sec
Public Testimony
Helen Skipper (NYC Justice Peer Initiative) on lived experience and treatment court expansion
Skipper shares her 25 years cycling through Rikers with untreated addiction and mental illness, advocating for the Treatment Court Expansion Act, increased 6A program use, more ATI funding, and employing people with lived experience.
2:44:58 2 min 5 sec
Public Testimony
Zachary Katsenelson (Independent Rikers Commission) on six concrete council actions to reduce jail population
Katsenelson presents six recommendations: mandate NYPD database access for DAs, require 48-hour evidence uploads, fully staff discovery liaison units, set deadlines for data management systems, set OCME forensic testing deadlines, and require 14-day competency assessments.
2:47:03 2 min 23 sec
Public Testimony
Jennifer Parrish (Jails Action Coalition) on mental health diversion and community resource gaps
Parrish highlights that people with mental health concerns spend more time in jail, advocates for the Treatment Court Expansion Act to remove prosecutors as gatekeepers, and calls for funding mobile treatment teams, supportive housing, and interagency coordination.
2:49:26 3 min 16 sec
Public Testimony
Ryan Aquata (Freedom Agenda) on treatment program gaps for people with serious mental illness
Aquata describes inability to place people with dual diagnoses or violence histories in treatment programs, calls for funding mobile treatment teams, crisis respite centers, Harbor House capital funding, outpatient competency restoration pilots, and expanded ATI programs.
2:52:42 3 min 50 sec
Public Testimony
Shel Evans on denied discovery access and vendor accountability concerns
Evans, a formerly incarcerated journalist and software engineer, questions vendor excuses for discovery system failures, shares being denied discovery access while at Rikers, and describes being pressured into a plea deal facing 5-25 years.
2:56:32 2 min 7 sec
Public Testimony
Jonas Zaitz (Cattell Center) on Rikers closure plan off track and budget demands
Zaitz urges the council to hold up the budgeting process until the administration provides a measurable, funded plan to close Rikers, noting nearly 80 deaths since the 2019 closure plan and criticizing increased DOC and NYPD funding.
2:58:39 2 min 17 sec
Public Testimony
Mike Tucker on Damian Grimes-Fuller's 8-year pretrial incarceration and mental health denial
Tucker advocates for the Grimes-Fuller family, describing a man incarcerated pretrial for eight years with severe mental health issues denied services, and calls for subpoenaing DOC and CHS leadership and a full investigation.
3:00:56 3 min 43 sec
Public Testimony
Chaplain Dr. Victoria Phillips on Rikers mental health failures and deaths
Phillips shares two decades of Rikers experience, describes officers writing detainees as refusals for court, highlights DOC's failure to implement Local Law 42, and details deaths of people with mental health concerns due to lack of care.
3:04:39 1 min 1 sec
Procedure
Chair Brooks-Powers closes hearing after checking for remaining testimony
Brooks-Powers checks for any remaining in-person or online testimony, finds none, and closes the hearing, thanking everyone for their time and contributions.