Albany County Legislature’s Law and Public Safety Committees Hold Joint Meeting on Youth Programming, Juvenile Justice, Raise the Age Spending

The Albany County Legislature's Law and Public Safety Committees held a special joint meeting about youth programming, juvenile justice, and Raise the Age spending in Albany County in the Cahill Room of the Harold L. Joyce Albany County Office Building on Thursday.

After chronic gun violence issues reached flashpoints in both the City of Albany and Watervliet this summer, lawmakers wanted to hear directly from Albany County District Attorney Lee Kindlon, Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple, Commissioner of the Albany County Department for Children, Youth, and Family (DCYF) Moira Manning, Director of the Albany County Department of Probation William Connors, and members of the Albany County Executive's Office about the vast network of county-wide programming for at-risk youth populations related to Raise the Age funding and beyond.

At the top of the meeting, the Legislature heard presentations from both the District Attorney and the Sheriff on New York State Raise the Age funding. County projects big and small, including the Capital District Youth Center, are supported by the state program, but the nature of how Raise the Age funding operates has presented challenges. The program doesn't provide grant-style funds that make money available up front. Instead, officials pointed out that counties go through a reimbursement process where county funding is used first. The model has been cumbersome and sometimes does not cover all county costs.

The County Executive's Office and the Departments provided the Legislature a 12-page report (available upon request) with Raise the Age funding details and dozens of supported programs, including ones focusing on:

• Case management
• Diversion systems
• Detention alternatives
• Accountability and restorative justice
• Behavioral interventions
• In-person mentoring
• Life-skills and relationship building
• Creating Partnerships with community and non-profit organizations

The departments also pointed out programming provided above and beyond Raise the Age funding including:

• Job interviewing training
• Workforce development
• Business attire programs
• Driving education
• GED education
• Mental health support
• Summer Youth Employment

Departments also shared partnerships with community and non-profit groups such as:

• 4th Family
• Albany Police Athletic League
• Boys & Girls Club Summer Camp
• South End Children's Café
• Two Together
• 518 Elite basketball
• GKNY Mentor Program
• Eden's Rose Foundation
• Make a Play
• Art Partners
• The Salvation Army

In addition to all of the in-place services, the Albany County Legislature oversees over $700,000 in annual grant funding focusing on anti-bullying and youth violence prevention, parks & playgrounds, tobacco and substance use prevention in schools, women's health, and disabled, senior and veteran services throughout Albany County.

Albany County Legislature Chairwoman Joanne Cunningham said: "The Legislature's intent in convening tonight's joint Law and Public Safety Committee Meeting is to engage the entire county leadership for a full analysis and discussion about the County's programs and efforts related to juvenile justice, policies like Raise the Age, and other programs that assist our most in need community members, troubled young people, and review programs and policies that stop the cycle of violence in our communities. The hallmark of the County's efforts is to offer targeted programming, address underlying issues like housing and funding, and create opportunities to divert young people away from violence and toward a brighter future. We are proud of the County's leadership in this area and always look to collaborate with partners who share in the view that working together is how we strengthen our communities."

Albany County Legislature Deputy Chairwoman Wanda Willingham said: "Remedies can't be reactive or short-term. In Albany County we are building long-term, proactive solutions and smartly investing funding into a wide variety of initiatives. We are rebuilding hope through all of the programs we reviewed tonight. We believe that creating affordable homes, offering financial resources and economic opportunities, and guaranteeing access to healthcare, food, and water lift people and neighborhoods. People who feel joy don't feel the urge to harm others. A content heart has no desire to destroy."

Albany County Legislature Democratic Majority Leader Dennis Feeney said: "Today's Joint Committee meeting of Law and Public Safety was part of an ongoing dialogue regarding the recent violence in our community. I understand how crucial it is that the people receive accurate information regarding the efforts taken by the County, and wholly support opportunities to get the word out to the public. This forum allowed the public to hear from County officials about efforts taken to address these impacts, and was an opportunity for members of the Legislature to raise questions they are receiving from constituents. I look forward to the continued dialogue on these issues and updates on steps to be taken in the weeks and months ahead."

County Executive Daniel P. McCoy said: "Tonight's joint meeting of the Law and Public Safety Committees was a constructive step towards addressing the complex issue of gun violence in our community. We will continue to strengthen community-based programs and provide youth with the tools, mentorship, and opportunities they need to pick a better path. While some have chosen to focus on criticism, Albany County remains focused on collaboration. The work ahead will require all levels of government: city, county, and state, to work together. Our job is not to assign blame but to build solutions, and that's what tonight's meeting was all about."

Albany County District Attorney Lee Kindlon said: "I believe that Raise the Age is a good law but not yet not a great law, and I am advocating for small but meaningful tweaks in order to promote public safety. I also believe that we all can do better as a collective, and that's why my office has formed a new Restorative Justice Bureau to come up with alternatives to incarceration through a number of pragmatic approaches that seek to tackle tough issues like youth crime, substance abuse, poverty, mental illness and homelessness."