Amanda Stegnero-McCarthy urges alternatives and Intro 447/Reso 274
Amanda Stegnero-McCarthy of CASES says the city continues to detain hundreds in horrific conditions without expanding alternatives. She cites declining Probation adjustment eligibility and an ACES success story, and urges support for Intro 447 and Reso 274.
Good afternoon.
I'm Amanda Stegnero-McCarthy, Senior Director and Youth Policy Lead at Cases.
Young New Yorkers need supportive programming in the community.
Instead, the city has continued to detain hundreds of young people in horrific conditions without expanding access to alternatives.
Over the last several years, the Department of Probation has failed to identify young people eligible for adjustment, a process that connects them to a personalized plan for success.
Just 15% of young people overall were found eligible in 2026 compared to 61% in 2022.
Probation did not find a single high-risk young person eligible in the past three years, a precipitous drop from 11% in 2018.
This decline reflects just one way that the department is failing young people.
Effective program models like ACES, a multi-year anti-violence program for young men vulnerable to arrest, prove that voluntary services decrease community violence without requiring participation.
Devin connected with ACES in 2022 but later disengaged.
ACES staff continued to contact him during this period, but unfortunately Devin was incarcerated in 2024.
Upon release, Devin immediately reconnected with ACES and the team connected him with our GED program, provided mentoring and referrals to substance use and mental health services while helping him meet his probation requirements.
He grew confident and was ready to pursue his goals.
Today, he has successfully earned his GED, enrolled in community college, and has moved into his own apartment.
Progress for young people is nonlinear.
Our clients'stories include serious challenges.
But their success shows that the city can make meaningful change by robustly expanding access to these programs.
The city can do more by supporting Intro 447 and Resolution 274.
We urge the council to move quickly to adopt 247 prior to the legislative session so that our city does not go another year without access to this critical funding.
Every young person deserves access to appropriate support and opportunities for growth.
New York City must act urgently to expand and build meaningful opportunities for young people to thrive and resolve their involvement in the criminal legal system.
Thank you.