From Punishment to Public Health (P2PH) worked with partners in NYC to deliver a one-day conference event designed to draw attention to the public health impacts of New York State’s bail reform laws that went into effect on January 1, 2020. Stakeholders from across the criminal justice and healthcare spectrum recognized every arrest as a potential health emergency, noting that most individuals who entered jails had complex behavioral and physical health needs. Moreover, jail-based health providers often represented the first access to care in months or even years for individuals lacking health insurance or strong connections to community-based providers.
Stakeholders from various disciplines, sectors, and regions grappled with pressing questions such as:
- How would the law affect pre-trial detention for individuals arrested on various criminal charges, particularly those with underlying health issues?
- What health and public health interventions would still be available to clients processing through the system, and which interventions were likely to have less impact with fewer jail entries?
- How could individuals facing a less burdensome pre-trial process continue to receive robust health and social service engagements?
- What other opportunities existed to enhance public health and wellness goals while reducing the role of criminal justice actors?
AGENDA:
9:00am Welcome – Jeff Coots, P2PH Director
9:30 Plenary – Overview of Bail Reform’s potential impacts on detention rates
- Olive Lu, Graduate Research Assistant, Data Collaborative for Justice, John Jay College
10am: Health needs of current Rikers population and key health intercepts
- Michelle Martel, MPH, Senior Director of Health Information and Insurance, CHS, H+H
- Zachary Rosner, MD, Chief of Service, Medicine, CHS, H+H
- Jonathan Giftos, MD, Medical Director, Opioid Treatment Program, CHS, H+H
- Elizabeth Ford, MD, Chief of Service, Psychiatry, CHS, H+H
Coffee & Networking break
11:15 Panel – Engaging CJ-involved clients in community-based care
- Alexandra Goodwin, MD, Clinical Assistant Professor, NYU Langone
- Giles Malieckal, LCSW, Senior Director, Pre-Trial Services Department, CASES
- Maureen Allwood, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Dept. of Psychology, John Jay College
- Ramon Guzman, CARC/CRPA, ED Peer Advocate, Richmond Univ. Medical Center
1230pm – Lunch Break (catered in-house)
1:30 Panel - Building a new safety net of treatment and services in NYC
- Sasidhar Gunturu, MD, Dir., Psychiatric Integrative Services, Bronx Care Health System
- Michael McRae, PhD Assistant Commissioner, Bureau of Health Promotion for Justice-Impacted Populations, DOHMH
- Jeffrey Weiss, PhD, MS, Director, REACH Program, Mount Sinai Health System
- George Plaskett, Holistic Team Member, New York Harm Reduction Educators
Coffee & Networking break
3 pm Panel – Investing in the Wellness Infrastructure of high-needs neighborhoods
- Chelsea Davis, MPH, Director of Health Initiatives, Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice
- Kyung-Ji Rhee, Co-Director, Center for NuLeadership on Urban Solutions
- Jessica Jensen, LCSW, Director of Statewide Initiatives, Prisoner Reentry Institute, John Jay College
- Steven Pacheco, P2PH Policy Associate, John Jay College
Full Conference booklet: Dec 10th 2019 Conference Program