[BwayDems] Senator Benjamin's January E-News

[Paula Diamond Roman]

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When I ran for the State Senate, I promised I would fight for the issues that deeply impact our community.  With the State Legislature back in session in Albany, I am more committed than ever to fulfilling that promise and to continuing to fight for real justice and real reform. 
 
 Brian A. Benjamin,
 New York State Senator 
 

 
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West Side Town Hall
 
WHAT: I want a chance to meet all of my constituents on the West Side! Join me for an update on legislative happenings in Albany, a discussion of our community priorities, and a chance to ask me questions.  
 WHEN: Wednesday, February 7  | 6:30 pm 
 WHERE: Red Oak Apartments | 135 W 106th St, New York, NY 10025
 To RSVP: CLICK HERE! or call Neil at 212.222.7315 or email nreilly at nysenate.gov 
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Fighting to #CLOSErikers was one of my first campaign promises, and the subject of one of the first bills I introduced. I spent my summer and fall meeting with activists, organizers, and community members, I am pleased to announce some progress on that front. 
 
After I called on Governor Cuomo to include closing Rikers in his state budget, he announced that his 2018 priorities would include comprehensive criminal justice reform, and he called for the State Corrections Commission to develop corrective action plans or closure orders on jails like Rikers Island. Just days before that, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that a reduction of the population of Rikers Island will allow the New York City Department of Corrections to close the first of Rikers’ nine jails.  
 
We still have a lot to do, but this is real progress. I am committed to continuing to work with the city, the state, and all of you to see that Rikers Island is closed. Read my press release about the topic here. 
 

 
|  | By their very nature, private, for-profit prisons drive the inhumane practice of incarcerating low income people of color. If we are serious about reforming our criminal justice system, then we have to recognize we are betting against ourselves by using our public pensions to reward private prisons for this behavior.  |

 
For this reason, I have introduced S7194, a bill which would prohibit New York State’s public pension fund from being invested in private prisons.
 
There is no reason a progressive state like New York should be benefiting from mass incarceration; passing this bill would not only be the right thing to do morally, it would benefit society economically. 
 
ENDING CASH BAIL, REFORMING DISCOVERY, & ENSURING SPEEDY TRIALS 
 
Our criminal justice system is broken. As things stand, punishment is not just for the guilty, it is also for those too poor to pay for their freedom. At Rikers Island, 9 out of 10 detainees are Black or Latino; and 85% of the population have yet to be tried for a crime. Many of these New Yorkers are detained only because they lack the resources to pay for their bail. They are not more of a threat and their crimes are not more serious–the only difference between those detained and those set free is their economic status and the color of their skin. 
 
Closing Rikers Island alone will not solve this problem, but it will require us to change our criminal justice system drastically, moving away from a system that criminalizes poverty and mental health and towards one that actually seeks justice and rehabilitation. I am glad Governor Cuomo included an aggressive plan for bail reform, discovery reform, and speedy trial reform in his State of the State address; and I look forward to working with him, my fellow state legislators, and community members to fight for a fairer and freer New York. 
 
In addition to my criminal justice legislation, I am pleased to announce that I am also the sponsor or co-sponsor of several other important pieces of legislation in 2018, including: 
  
To learn more about my legislative priorities, call my Legislative Director Phil Giltner at 518.455.2441, or email  giltner at nysenate.gov.  
 
Standing with my colleagues in Albany calling for election reform.
 

 

 
Harlem senator pushes bill barring pension fund from investing in private prison companies
 

 
Harlem Senator Wants NY Pension to Sever Ties With Private Prisons
 

 
Thank you to everyone who participated in my first annual Volunteer Awards Ceremony last December! I look forward to working with you all this year to fight for a more affordable, fairer, and freerer New York.
 

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