NYAPRS Note: The Treatment Not Jail Coalition’s Advocacy Day in Albany is next Wednesday, May 3rd. RSVP today to have your voice heard by lawmakers in Albany next week! See below for more information about the day and the Treatment Not Jail bill.
For too long New York has relied on jails and prisons to warehouse our community members who suffer from underlying mental health and substance use issues. This practice has led to a spike in suicides and overdoses in these facilities and created significantly more trauma and instability for those who managed to survive their period of incarceration.
The Treatment Not Jail coalition knows that we cannot jail our way out a statewide mental health crisis or an opioid epidemic. That is why New York must pass the Treatment Not Jail Act (S.1976A/A.1263A) which will provide meaningful off-ramps from the criminal legal system for individuals that suffer from underlying mental health and substance use issues. Rather than relying on traditional punitive responses, the TNJ Act will create mental health courts in every county in NY state that are modeled after proven-effective treatment modalities, like harm reduction principles and the pre-plea model. Because the safest communities are the healthiest communities, not the most policed or incarcerated communities.
Join us on May 3rd to tell our elected representatives to PASS TREATMENT NOT JAIL and finally connect those who are brought into the legal system due to underlying mental health and substance use issues with the services they need!
Meals and transportation will be provided.
