NYC jail population down, but violence and costs are up?
A rendition of Rodin's The Thinker behind jail bars. Shutterstock
Project Renewal has won a $150,000 contract with the New York City Department of Social Services. The money will fund homeless services for veterans through June 2019, according to the City Record. New York Legal Assistance Group has won a three-year, $3.76 million contract from the department to fund the Homeless Prevention Law Project.
Several nonprofit leaders appeared on “Inside City Hall” to discuss how New Yorkers are hurt by the federal government shutdown. The panelists included Allison Sesso of the Human Services Council of New York, Joel Berg of Hunger Free America, Mikola DeRoo of Food Bank for New York City, and Kristen Rouse of the NYC Veterans Alliance. If you missed the discussion, you can catch up on what they said here.
"We have an equity problem in the City-- and then you have all of these additional federal workers who are now also seeking the help of the nonprofits" - @AllisonSesso on @NY1 - thank you @errollouis https://t.co/uaPawWExS3
— The Human Services Council of New York (@HSC_NY) January 24, 2019
Some of the biggest names in New York nonprofits were in Albany yesterday for a budget hearing on human services. Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s proposed state budget did not include a Cost-of-Living-Adjustment for nonprofit employees who deliver services on behalf of the state, but some state lawmakers are joining with nonprofit advocates to secure that funding before the April 1 budget deadline.
Thank you Senator @LizKrueger @SenatorPersaud @RachelMayNY @dianesavino & AMs @AndrewHevesi @EllenCJaffee @HarryBBronson & many legislators at today's budget hearing for supporting investments in human services workforce. Fund human services COLA & min wage for #strongnonprofits pic.twitter.com/TkDunkScj4
— The Human Services Council of New York (@HSC_NY) January 24, 2019
Check us tomorrow for links to our testimony about #childwelfare needs #COFCCAcares https://t.co/GU3KQ85WwC
— COFCCA (@COFCCA) January 24, 2019
I’m attending the NY state legislature’s human services budget hearing today, because state support is so critical to our work. We look forward to a SFY19-20 budget that allows us to continue our innovative child welfare and juvenile justice programs and reform efforts. pic.twitter.com/bjyrT6Pfvt
— David A. Hansell (@DavidHansell1) January 24, 2019
A new report from New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer examines the city Department of Correction. While the jail population in the city is reaching record lows, spending by the department increased to $1.39 billion in the past fiscal year; use of force incidents and violence are up, too, according to a Jan. 22 press release.
“The DOC is spending more money with more staff to guard fewer people,” Stringer said in the press release. “Yet rates of violence and assault continue to rise, which is troubling both for our detained population and for correction officers. We have to do better, and this analysis sheds a light on just how much work remains ahead of us.”