Jeannette Bocanegra strongly opposes Intro 453 as family surveillance risk
Jeannette Bocanegra of Justice for Families says Intro 453 is misguided and should be rewritten. She says children visiting incarcerated loved ones are not in DOC custody and should not face additional screening or risk of ACS involvement; she urges community-based support instead.
Peace and blessings, Chair and members of the committee.
My name is Jeanette Bocanegra and I'm the executive director of a nationally family-led organization in the Bronx.
I am also a mother and a long-time advocate for families impacted by the juvenile and adult system.
Justice for Families strongly opposes Intro 453.
Though the intentions are great,
This bill is misguided and should not be moved forward.
It needs to be rewritten.
We absolutely support providing children with healing and mental health resources.
However, the Department of Correction should not assess or provide mental health services to children simply because they are visiting an incarcerated parent or loved one.
The department continues to demonstrate that they need to be improved.
These children are visitors.
They are not in the Department of Corrections custody.
Maintaining a relationship with someone they love should not expose them to additional screening, surveillance, labeling them.
And another system involvement with ACS, another system that outcomes are horrible.
We want to shrink those systems and build the community's capacity.
Families already are traveling long distance and endure long waits, lockdowns, cancellations, visits, and confusing rules.
To maintain contact with their loved ones, children should not be encouraged to remain on Rikers any longer.
than necessary.
Rikers Island is not a healing center.
I am deeply concerned that these assessments could open a door to a child welfare involvement for families if they're not already involved in that system.
A child visiting an incarcerated loved one should never become an opportunity to investigate or further regulate families.
It is true, it is, if this city truly wants to help our children, they should provide outside support and dependent community with base organizations.
I'll submit mine.
But children in healing, we've acknowledged that.
Rikers Island contributed to a lot of the trauma that our communities are facing today.
They're not the answer, so we strongly oppose 453.
Thank you.
Thank you to this panel.
Next, we'll hear from...
Chaplain Dr.
Victoria Phillips.
With Jails Action Coalition, Marcos Barrios, Urban Justice Center, Jennifer Parrish, Urban
Justice Center, Maxima Radal, Make the Road New York, and Mateo Guerrero, Make the Road.