Proposed Int. No. 2079-A
By Council Member Ampry-Samuel
A Local Law to amend the New York city charter, in relation to creating a juvenile detention advisory board
Be it enacted by the Council as follows:
Section 1. Chapter 24-b of the New York city charter is amended by adding a new section 620 to read as follows:
§ 620. Juvenile detention advisory board. a. There is hereby established a juvenile detention advisory board to advise the mayor, council, and administration for children’s services on issues related to juvenile detention, including but not limited to:
1. Factors that contribute to juvenile detention, including those related to pretrial detention decisions and inequities in law enforcement;
2. Reducing juvenile detention and lowering violence in detention facilities;
3. Promoting family connection and reunification while juveniles are detained, including actions taken by facility staff to promote and facilitate vistis and communication;
4. Ensuring that juveniles are given access to educational programming and schooling, including individualized education programs.
b. The advisory board shall consist of seventeen members, as follows:
1, The speaker of the council, or their designee;
2. The commissioner of the administration for children’s services, or their designee;
3. The chair of the board of correction, or their designee;
4. The chancellor of the department of education, or their designee;
5. The director of the mayor’s office of criminal justice, or their designee;
6. Twelve public members, six of whom shall be appointed by the mayor and six of whom shall be appointed by the speaker of the council. Appointees of the mayor shall include at least four representing advocates who specialize in defending juveniles in family or supreme court, and appointees of the speaker shall include at least four family members of currently or formerly incarcerated juveniles, or persons who have been previously incarcerated in a juvenile detention facility.
c. 1. Advisory board members shall serve without compensation.
2. The initial appointment of advisory board members shall be completed by no later than 60 days after the effective date of the local law that added this section.
3. Advisory board members shall serve terms of three years.
4. Any vacancy on the advisory board shall be filled in the manner of original appointment.
d. The board shall meet at least biannually and choose a chairperson at the first such meeting. The board shall keep a record of its proceedings, and determine the rules of its own proceedings with special meetings to be called by the chairperson upon his or her own initiative or upon receipt of a written request signed by at least four members of the board. Written notice of the time and place of such special meetings shall be given to each member at least two weeks before the date fixed by the notice for such special meeting.
e. No later than December 1, 2021, and annually on December 1 thereafter, the board shall submit a report to the mayor and the speaker of the council, and post on the department’s website, the results of its review and recommendations pursuant to this section.
§ 2. This local law takes effect immediately.
MK
LS #1943/15669
9/25/20