City Council Member Inez Dickens Endorses Cy Vance for Manhattan DA

CONTACT:
Erin Duggan
Cy Vance for Manhattan DA
(646) 248-4370
eduggan@cyvanceforda.com [1]

Council Member Inez Dickens today announced her support for Cy Vance, Democratic candidate for Manhattan District Attorney. Dickens, who represents Central Harlem, Morningside Heights, and parts of the Upper West Side and East Harlem, praised Vance’s commitment to Community-Based Justice and his focus on crime prevention and alternatives to incarceration.

“Cy Vance understands the importance of community. I have seen him time and again throughout my district over the last several months, and I know that he will continue to listen, and to help the community once he is elected,” said Dickens. “His model of Community-Based Justice will help prosecutors build trust and work more closely with communities. His tireless work on sentencing reform and his commitment to alternatives to incarceration mean that many more nonviolent offenders will get treatment and education, rather than prison. Above all, Cy Vance is committed to preventing crimes before they occur – he will make our streets safer and our jails emptier.”

Cy Vance said: “I’m thrilled to be endorsed by Council Member Dickens. She is a principled leader and an impressive advocate on vital issues such as health care and small business. I look forward to working with her to help prosecutors establish closer ties with communities, to utilize innovative and successful alternatives to incarceration and reentry programs, and to keep the community safe. Above all, I promise to always remember a central truth: a crime prevented is far better than a crime prosecuted.”

Along with his plans for Community-Based Justice, Cy Vance has vowed to open an office in Washington Heights, advocate for a Family Justice Center in Northern Manhattan and protect small businesses by cracking down on white collar crime. Vance has spent decades advocating for alternatives to incarceration, as a prosecutor, a leading defense attorney and on sentencing commissions in New York and in Washington State. A top priority as DA will be to keep first-time non-violent offenders, particularly juveniles, out of the criminal justice system, through prevention and smart prosecution.

Council Member Dickens joins a strong and diverse coalition of supporters of Cy Vance’s campaign for DA. In the last month Vance has been endorsed by the Amsterdam News, the New York Times, the Daily News, the New York Post, El Diario, U.S. Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez, Borough President Scott Stringer, State Senator Tom Duane, Councilmember Jessica Lappin, UFT, RWDSU, Tenants PAC, the League of Young Voters PAC and the Innocence Project Co-Founders Barry Scheck and Peter Neufeld. Earlier this summer Vance was endorsed by current District Attorney Robert Morgenthau, former Mayor David Dinkins, Caroline Kennedy, Gloria Steinem, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum, Council Member Alan Gerson, former Comptroller H. Carl McCall, Teamsters Local 237, The Sergeants Benevolent Association, former U.S. Attorneys Robert Fiske and Zachary Carter, the Doe Fund founder George McDonald, and many more. He is also supported by more than 175 former ADA’s – many of whom have worked with all three candidates and know what it takes to be an exemplary District Attorney.

Vance’s Plan to Reduce Recidivism includes:

• Aggressively Pursuing Alternatives to Incarceration. Diverting first-time non-violent offenders into treatment programs when appropriate can keep a significant number of New Yorkers from beginning the cycle of incarceration. Vance is the only candidate who served on the New York State Commission on Sentencing Reform, which helped overturn the archaic Rockefeller Drug Laws.
• Creating a Reentry Director. Vance will create a cabinet-level position responsible for overseeing successful reintegration of former offenders into the community. This position will oversee the development, implementation, oversight and expansion of our reentry program, and work with foundations, organizations, corrections agencies and other governmental agencies.
• Immediately Engaging Upon Release. Since 30 percent of those released are rearrested within one year, there is a narrow window of opportunity to reach former inmates. Providing services concurrent with release is vital and will be made a top priority of the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.
• Focusing on Comprehensive “Wraparound” Services. The DA’s office will be committed to helping coordinate and promote services. This will involve close collaboration between corrections, parole and service providers, and will be focused on employment-related needs, safe and drug-free transitional housing, and substance abuse treatment for offenders who have a history of chemical abuse. Additional services will include:
  • Drug Treatment – sobriety maintenance and relapse prevention services.
  • Educational Assistance – ranging from pre-GED, to college preparation, to substantial computer skills classes that will provide intensive training and workforce preparation.
  • Financial Literacy – helping participants manage their earned income and plan for the future.
  • Life Skills – classes that teach anger management and conflict resolution.
  • Career Services – career development specialists will provide career planning and interview preparation, help locate stable jobs with opportunities for advancement, and monitor progress in the workforce.
• Promoting Immediate Transitional Employment. Research shows that lack of employment is the chief factor of recidivism.