Investing in NYC Youth Opportunity Over Further Criminalization
Testimony & Public Comments
March 7, 2025
On Friday, March 7, Senior Policy Associate Caitlyn Passaretti submitted testimony to the New York City Council Preliminary Budget Oversight Hearing on criminal justice. On behalf of CCC, the testimony supports funding and policy reforms to address issues of safety by investing in youth and communities.
Read the full testimony below.
Testimony of Caitlyn Passaretti, Senior Policy Associate
Citizens’ Committee for Children of New York
Submitted to the New York City Council FY’2026 Preliminary Budget Oversight Hearing
Criminal Justice
March 7, 2025
Since 1944, Citizens’ Committee for Children of New York has served as an independent, multi-issue child advocacy organization dedicated to ensuring every New York child is healthy, housed, educated, and safe. CCC does not accept or receive public resources, provide direct services, or represent a sector or workforce; our priority is improving outcomes for children and families through civic engagement, research, and advocacy. We document the facts, engage, and mobilize New Yorkers, and advocate for solutions to ensure the wellbeing of New York’s children, families, and communities.
We would like to thank Chair Nurse and all the members of the City Council Committee on Criminal Justice for providing the opportunity to discuss how to improve the delivery of essential services and programs for NYC youth and young adults in the FY26 Preliminary Budget.
Restore Alternatives to Incarceration (ATI) and Supportive Programming for Youth and Young Adults
Extensive research demonstrates the positive impacts of ATI and reentry programs, including lowering recidivism and crime.[1] Moreover, for every dollar invested in ATI programs, studies estimate between $3.46-$5.54 in returns, in addition to reduced costs for the criminal justice system and better community health outcomes.[2]
Despite the well-established benefits of these programs, since 2023 the City Administration has cut nearly $6 million from probation programs that have proven to be successful in supporting re-entry and connecting young people to mentorship and services. Failing to provide robust reentry services or supportive probation programs will harm our youth and is counterintuitive to building safe communities.
We therefore recommend the following investments and restorations in the FY26 Budget:
- Restore and baseline $3.3 million to the IMPACT program, an alternative to placement program for young people who would otherwise be sent to Horizons or Crossroads
- Restore and baseline $2.6 million for Next STEPS (cut August 2023), which offered one-on-one and group mentoring within a cognitive behavioral therapy-based curriculum designed to help young adults make the attitudinal and behavioral changes necessary to avoid criminal activity and re-engage with education, work and community
Close Rikers and Invest in Supportive Services
As of July 2022, 22.5% of those in Department of Corrections custody were young adults between the ages of 18-25, roughly 1,300 people.[3] Furthermore, 90% of this population was being held pre-trial, and therefore presumed innocent. This age group, 18-25, is referred to as emerging adults. Brain science shows that brains are still developing until at least 25 years old, and that these young adults require an array of developmentally appropriate justice system responses. Emerging adults are more vulnerable to the harsh environment on Rikers Island and will be more impacted in their ability to re-enter society based on what they witness or experience while incarcerated.[4] The harms of incarceration at Rikers are undeniable. Under the Adams Administration, 34 people have died while incarcerated there. Moreover, in the first 6 months of 2021, 18-21 year olds old were involved in 22% of the reported uses of force by staff but only made up 8% of those detained at that time.[5] The dangerous impact of Rikers Island – and the disproportionate harm to young people – cannot be ameliorated by reforms alone.
The budget for Rikers Island should be redistributed and invested into services that support people experiencing incarceration and detention and assist their reentry. We join the Campaign to Close Rikers in urging the city to remain on track with the closure of Rikers by 2027 and choose to invest in age-appropriate mental health services, housing, and reentry supports for people leaving custody.
State Advocacy: Waiver of Hardship for Raise the Age
Last fall marked six years since Raise the Age was first implemented across New York State, ending a shameful chapter in our history of prosecuting 16- and 17-year olds as adults regardless of the offense. Prior to the passage of this legislation, thousands of 16- and 17-year-olds were held in dangerous conditions on Rikers Island and other adult jails across the state. Moreover, these youth were systematically locked out of age-appropriate services in family court programs designed to meet the needs of adolescents and avoid the barriers of an adult criminal record.
Youth crime has consistently decreased since Raise the Age implementation in 2018. In New York City alone, since 2013 there has been a 48% decrease in adolescent arrests for serious offenses.[6] Evidence from implementation across the State clearly shows how the law has improved community safety and youth well-being.
Despite making up half of the state’s youth justice system population, New York City is currently excluded from accessing the Raise the Age funding because the City exceeds the tax cap prescribed by state law. However, it is possible to access this funding by submitting a waiver of hardship, indicating that our city and our programs need the resources that are available through the Raise the Age law. New York City accounts for half of the state’s youth justice system population and should be able to access more funding. However, Mayor Adams has yet to apply for the waiver of hardship, despite the administration’s claim that the current fiscal cliff necessitates drastic cuts to many of the supportive services and programs that are vital to New York City’s youth and families.
It is critical to invest in programs and organizations that are serving our communities through youth development, violence-prevention services, and other alternatives to incarceration to prevent the necessity of further investment in the carceral system. We therefore urge the Council to work with the Mayor and the administration to submit a letter with the waiver of hardship to allow NYC to be considered for the funding. The ability to access RTA funding for community investments would be transformative for youth and communities in New York City.
Thank you for the opportunity to provide testimony.
