Intro:

Hello, my name is Brielle. I am a designer, facilitator, and dreamer of a just world. I seek to find the intersections of my skills in design and facilitation, and passion for justice reform. My interests in healing justice, interpersonal conflict, and systems thinking lead me to the restorative justice space.

Landscape

The current political conversation around crime in New York City is highly polarized, with some arguing that the city needs to take a tougher stance on crime, meaning harsher punishment, and others advocating for more progressive policies that address the root causes of criminal behavior such as poverty and inequality.

Recent spikes in violent crime, particularly shootings, have led to heightened concerns about public safety, with some blaming the city's progressive criminal justice reform, calling instead for a tougher stance on crime, while others point to broader social and economic factors such as poverty and inequality.

Public Safety

In 2020, National Innovation Service (NIS) and the NYC Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Safety (ONS) partners on a year long process to speak directly with the communities most directly affected by violent crime, police violence, and neighborhood disinvestment.

“Residents describe safety as a multidimensional phenomenon, spanning everything from access to housing and employment to internal psychological factors. For residents, psychological safety is grounded in a freedom from fear, as well as the cultivation of community connection and trust.”

It is well documented that the same New York city neighborhoods most targeting by law enforcement and impacted by mass-incacercation are also the same nieghborhoods lacking adequate schools, housing, mental health and substance use treatment, healthcare and social services (RJI 10)

In a report on Gun use amongst youth in NYC, the Center for Justice Innovation found that one of the pervasive reasons for youth carrying guns is because of of police presence in their communities.

“It’s not a regular person I gotta worry about. I gotta protect myself from the people who are made to protect and serve us.”

The Social Cost of Policing

According to a recent study conducted by Vera Institute for Justice:

1. Policing can cause increased physical and psychological harm to both communities and individuals
2. Educational development can suffer in neighborhoods with a heavy police presence, even for students who are not stopped by police
3. Arrests and street stops can undermine engagement with local government and disrupt informal community problem-solving

What actually decreases crime and increases public safety?

There is a widespread belief in our culture that the only effective responses to crime and harm are punitive. However, there is little to no data that proves that more cops lead to less crime. There is ample amount of data and research that demonstrates what communities need in order to thrive. This is no longer a question of why and how, but when will city government and policy makers finally support the things that actually reduce crime and increase public safety.

And according to a new report NYC is currently spending an average of $115,000 a year to jail one person. $500,000 for a person on Rikers Island. Every dollar spent locking someone up comes at the expense of funding for other services that could more effectively help to build healthy and safe communities.