News from Councilman Ulrich

News From

City Council Member Eric Ulrich

***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE***

May 13, 2015

Contact:  Redmond Haskins

(646) 584-3715 

New York, NY – Council Member Eric A. Ulrich (R-Queens), Chair of the City Council Veterans Committee, and Council Member Rory Lancman (D-Queens) will introduce legislation tomorrow that would establish a task force to study issues confronting veterans involved in New York City’s criminal justice system.

The legislation would specifically require the task force to issue a report with recommendations on how to limit the involvement of veterans in the criminal justice system, assist veterans transitioning out of the criminal justice system, expand available legal services for veterans, and other recommendations. The task force would include representatives from the Mayor’s Office of Veterans’ Affairs, the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice, the Department of Correction, the Department of Probation, the Police Department, and two appointees each by the Mayor and Speaker of the Council.

This legislation comes after a hearing this past February where the Council examined the successes of local Veterans Treatment Courts and heard testimony from a range of stakeholders on current criminal justice issues involving the city’s veterans community.

“Many veterans grapple daily with the scars of war and as a result can sometimes find themselves entangled in the criminal justice system,” said Council Member Eric Ulrich, Chair of the City Council Veterans Committee.“This bill will help us better understand the criminal justice issues facing veterans and detail what legislative action the Council can take to address those issues.”

"All too often, veterans bear scars from war that lead them into the criminal justice system," said Council Member Rory I. Lancman, Chair of the Courts and Legal Services Committee. "The creation of this task force will ensure that we take every action we can to keep veterans out of our criminal courts. This is an important step we must take for the heroes who gave so much to keep us safe."

"IAVA applauds the creation of a Veterans Criminal Justice Task Force. After the untimely death of Jerome Murdough, a 56 year old veteran who died at Riker's Island, this has been an issue on the minds of many veterans in NYC. We should be doing better by all of our veterans in the city, even those caught up in the criminal justice system. We welcome this bill that would establish a task force to look at these pressing issues." - Paul Rieckhoff, CEO and Founder, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America
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