Sharon Content details trauma before and after visits for children

Okay, I was waiting for it to be unmuted.

Can you hear me now?

Welcome.

Yes, thank you.

Thank you.

Can you guys, everyone hear me okay?

We can hear you.

Okay, good afternoon.

Good afternoon to Chair Brooks Powers, Council Member Stevens, and to the members of the Committee of Criminal Justice.

My name is Sharon Content, and I'm the founder and president of Children of Promise NYC.

I seem to be a bit delayed.

Are you guys, is everyone hearing me okay?

We can hear you.

Okay, fabulous.

I am the founder and president of Children of Promise NYC, an organization that 17 years ago has worked specifically with children and families impacted by parental incarceration.

I'm the founder of this organization.

It is one that I have remained committed and passionate about from day one.

I want to thank you for the opportunity to speak today regarding Introduction 453-2026, which would establish a voluntary mental health services program for children under the age of 18

visiting individuals incarcerated in New York City jails, including referrals and whatever practical on-site mental health services.

At Children of Promise NYC, we know firsthand when a parent is incarcerated, the child serves a sentence as well.

The child may not be behind bars, but they experience the separation.

They experience unanswered questions.

They exist.

experience anxiety, fear, anger, shame, and sometimes the responsibility of trying to protect everyone around them while attempting to understand what is happening to their family.

When you ask that child to walk into a correctional facility to visit a parent they love,

Research shows that parental incarceration documents the emotional and behavioral challenges that can accompany parental incarceration.

And it also shows the impact of visitation on children is complex.

The quality of the visit, the environment surrounding it, and whenever appropriate, support is provided makes a significant difference.

That is why the implementation of this legislation matters greatly.

From the experience of Children of Promise NYC, there are several elements that should be considered as this program is developed.

First, mental health support should begin before the visit, not after.

Not only after the child has visibly been distressed.

A child may need to understand what they're about to see, what their facility will look like, why their parents are dressed differently, what security

procedures they may experience, and how they are feeling and seeing before leaving or while they're leaving their parent.

Second, support you to continue after the visit.

For some children, the most difficult moment is walking away from the facility.

Not only walking in, walking out is just as traumatic for our young person.

Sharon, we're going to just ask you to wrap up.

You can submit the rest of the testimony in writing, though, but if you could close.

Okay.

Children of Promise stands ready to share our experiences and work with the city to help develop a model that recognizes the child will simply, not as a visitor

to a correctional facility, but also as a young person trying to navigate one of the most complicated experiences a family can face.

Thank you for the opportunity to testify this afternoon, most importantly, for centering the needs of children whose voices are too often absent from conversations around incarceration.

Sharon Content, thank you so much.

Thank you so much.

And we have now heard from everyone who has signed up to testify.

If we have inadvertently missed anyone who would like to testify in person, please visit the sergeant's table and complete a witness slip now.

If we inadvertently miss anyone.

who would like to testify virtually, please use the raise hand function in Zoom, and a member of our staff will call on you in the order of hands raised.

I will.

Did you submit a form?

You didn't complete one?

Yeah.

While we wait.

Anyone else?

While we in the room?

Mar Henriquez.