Res 0144-2018

By Council Member Dromm Whereas, The New York City Department of Correction ("DOC") is charged with overseeing and providing for the care, custody, and control of individuals 16 years of age and older who are accused of crimes or convicted and sentenced to one year or less of incarceration; and Whereas, DOC reported 58,226 total admissions to City jails during Fiscal Year 2017, with an average daily population of 9,500; and Whereas, On August 4, 2014, the United States Department of Justice ("DOJ") issued a report on New York City jails on Rikers Island, which focused on the adolescent male population and the use of force by staff, inmate-on-inmate violence, and use of punitive segregation during the period 2011-2013; and Whereas, The report notes that these conditions likely violated the Constitutional rights of these inmates; and Whereas, It has been reported by numerous news agencies that inmates have been denied proper medical, including mental health, treatment have been beaten by correction officers, and have died unnecessarily while in DOC custody; and Whereas, Very few cases of alleged mistreatment of inmates by DOC staff are prosecuted; and Whereas, Both the federal and New York state governments should appoint special prosecutors who have specific training in violence and civil rights violations in city jails to prosecute such violations against individuals; and Whereas, Providing this independent oversight and prosecutorial power would help ensure the safety of inmates and ensure their constitutional rights are protected; now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls on federal and New York state authorities to appoint special prosecutors to prosecute violence and civil rights violations against individuals in the New York City Department of Correction. WJH LS 2386/ Res. 562-2015 1/4/18 LS 1121