THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS January 20, 2022 - January 26, 2022 • 23 “We are cooperating fully with ments. “Today’s breakdown of locally for the deployment of heat sisted of hundreds of people. FDNY and other city agencies as the newly proposed federal leg- sensor technology. they continue the course of their islation to require the installation At least one co-owner of the Ariama C. Long is a Report for investigation,” said the spokes- of heat sensors is a necessary step Camber Property Group, Rick America corps member and writes Continued from page 2 person. towards providing every tenant Gropper, was a member of about culture and politics in New 2021. The Park Phase spokesperThe proposed federal law basic rights, regardless of their Adams’ housing transition team. York City for The Amsterdam son also said that heating com- would also require the installa- race, gender, zip code, religion or The Park Phase spokesperson News. Your donation to match plaints, ranging from February tion of heat sensors in certain fed- immigration status,” said Gibson. implied that Gropper and Adams our RFA grant helps keep her writ2021 to the present, involved erally funded housing, making it Adams called the situation “un- hadn’t made any likely interac- ing stories like this one; please conthree separate apartments. All so that the Department of Hous- acceptable” and that he would tions in the two zoom meetings sider making a tax-deductible gift four complaints were addressed ing and Urban Development and work to protect tenants from heat- the housing group had, and that of any amount today by visiting: and closed, according to HPD other agencies get real-time heat- ing-related harassment and abu- the transition committee ended https://tinyurl.com/fcszwj8w records. ing sensor reports from apart- sive landlords, and would push once Adams took office and con-
Fire
Labor
Corcraft’s industries programs are designed to provide incarcerated individuals with meaningful experience in real working environments that will directly translate to comparable work opportunities in the community.” Smallwood decidedly pushed back at the DOCCS response. She said that the “actual truth” is that people are forced to work everyday, and if they refuse, they are met with consequences. It can go as far as being placed in solitary confinement as a punishment, said Smallwood. Lisa Zucker, NYCLU senior
attorney for legislative affairs, added in the meeting that the legacy of chattel slavery in America lives on through these forced and exploitative labor conditions in prisons and jails. Vidal Guzman, founder of #FixThe13thNY, spent more than five years in New York State prisons and was one of the launch members of the campaign to close Rikers Island. Guzman said that the campaign was inspired by the Attica prison riot that took place in upstate New York in 1971. “People incarcerated are
paid 16 cents per hour as I was,” said Guzman in the meeting. “I know how it feels to get a paycheck of $4 at the end of the week.” From a community perspective, Smallwood said that incarcerated people want to work so they can have wages to support their families at home. “When you’re taking someone out of their community that affects the community as a whole in what the community is able to accomplish,” said Smallwood. “Someone who’s incarcerated, they are also our communi-
ty members and neighbors, and the dignity of being able to work without being forced and them being used as slave labor is an important issue for us all.”
river once they fall in, but we need much more investment upstream to keep them from falling Continued from page 12 in to begin with. I got caught doing something stupid 8.75 on a summer in. As our new mayor, Eric Adams, night and thank God it didn’t ruin often says, we expend enormous the rest of my life. But what if there resources pulling kids out of the had been a sports program, or a
jobs program, or a mentorship for me before I got into trouble? We must invest in prevention as well as responding to crime. And remember that while a young man carrying a gun has already fallen in the river, poverty and violence are intergen-
erational. If we divert that young person from prison to education and a career, imagine what that means for his kids, and for the future safety and wellbeing of our community. That is DA Bragg’s vision, and I am proud to support a district attorney who
sees in today’s youth what Judge Wright saw in me.
Continued from page 3
ny’s jobs is voluntary. DOCCS said that Corcraft provides certifications and that successful participation in several Corcraft programs can also result in an incarcerated individual’s earlier release from prison by six months. “By law, DOCCS is required to follow OSHA regulations for all workers, including incarcerated individuals,” said DOCCS in response to inquiries. “Each of
Bragg
Ariama C. Long is a Report for America corps member and writes about culture and politics in New York City for The Amsterdam News. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep her writing stories like this one; please consider making a taxdeductible gift of any amount today by visiting: https://tinyurl.com/fcszwj8w
Assemblyman Al Taylor has represented the 71st Assembly District––including Harlem, Hamilton Heights, Washington Heights, Inwood––since 2017.
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