Conviction itself doesn’t justify allowing the convicted to dwell in abusive or inhumane situations corresponding to these which have led Rikers to fall underneath federal receivership, and which the Authorized Support Society now accuses the ACS of allowing.
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Town’s Administration for Youngsters’s Companies is tasked with overseeing juvenile detention facilities the place younger youngsters charged with and/or convicted of crimes are housed as a part of their sentences. But the Authorized Support Society accused the company on Tuesday of maltreating youngsters of their care at two juvenile detention amenities within the Bronx and Brooklyn.
Authorized Support accused the ACS, in a letter to its commissioner, Jess Dannhauser, of making a neglectful setting the place practically 100 juvenile detainees dwell in unassigned quarters, that means they don’t have designated rooms or cells the place they sleep or can retailer their valuables.
Because of this, Authorized Support alleges, “these youth are subjected to inadequate and unhealthy sleeping conditions, lack of access to bathrooms and property, increased risk of violence, and inconsistent access to programming and educational services.” It’s an setting that solely additional deteriorates, not rehabilitates, a younger detainee.
The accusations, which the ACS is investigating, are all too much like the issues going through Rikers Island right now, the place residing situations have been uncared for for many years — resulting in upticks in violence, suicide and dying which have put each the inmates and the corrections workers sworn to guard them in equal peril.
A lot of these on Rikers and within the juvenile detention system have been convicted of crimes, a few of that are heinous. Some individuals say, “Lock ‘em up and throw away the key.” Why care in regards to the situations wherein the convicted dwell?
The reality is far more advanced than that. Conviction itself doesn’t justify allowing the convicted to dwell in abusive or inhumane situations corresponding to these which have led Rikers to fall underneath federal receivership, and which the Authorized Support Society now accuses the ACS of allowing.
Lately, progressive politicians and felony justice advocates have sought “decarceration” — closing Rikers Island down and discovering different methods to scale back the jail inhabitants — due to squalor, violence and different horrible situations within the correctional amenities of New York. However incarceration is vital to the felony justice system; these convicted of crimes should be held accountable for his or her actions to guard society.
What should occur is an finish to the squalor, violence and different horrible situations skilled inside all ranges of detention amenities of New York.
Town and state should commit the required monetary and logistical assets to make these amenities really humane — together with having protected, personal residing quarters for these housed, making certain tight safety to guard correctional workers, using medical and psychological well being staff to shortly handle emergency wants, and providing real rehabilitation packages to assist inmates rebuild their lives.
If we’re critical about lowering the jail inhabitants, defending inmates and guards, selling higher psychological well being, lowering recidivism and reducing crime in our metropolis, we should make investing in real jail reform a high precedence.
