Tuesday, June 2, 2026, 10 a.m. (New York City time), Council Chambers - City Hall
Committee: Committee on Finance
This joint executive budget hearing before the Committee on Finance (joined by Criminal Justice, Public Housing, Housing and Buildings, and Oversight committees) covered the fiscal year 2027 executive budget for the Department of Correction, the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), and the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA). DOC testimony addressed a roughly $1.3 billion budget, staffing and overtime challenges, the borough-based jail plan, cell door repairs, and population reduction strategies. HPD testimony focused on the mayor's 'Block by Block' housing plan, preservation and code enforcement, homeownership programs, and the SPEED report. NYCHA testimony covered capital investments in PACT conversions and vacant unit readiness, the Critical Repairs Initiative, federal funding cuts, and emergency housing voucher transitions. No votes were taken; the committees asked questions and received testimony, with follow-up information promised on numerous items. Public testimony was announced for Wednesday, June 10.
0:13 Your seats
0:13 . Good morning. Welcome to
0:14 stay in New York City Council
0:14 executive budget hearing for
0:16 the company on finance, joined
0:17 with the committee on criminal
0:19 justice, public housing,
0:21 housing and building and the
0:23 committee on oversight
0:24 investigations, please.
0:25 Science, all cell phone and
0:26 electronic devices and as a
0:27 friendly reminder do not
0:28 approach today is if you have
0:30 any concerns or questions,
0:31 please. Here, sergeant at arm
0:34 snow further do share. We are
0:35 ready to begin. Great.
0:39 Good morning, everyone. Good
0:43 to see you all welcome to the
0:44 sixth day of the hearings time
0:49 Council Member Linda Lee today
0:51 hearings. Today's hearings
0:52 will begin with New York City
0:52 department of correction
0:55 ,followed by department of
0:56 housing preservation and
0:56 development and the New York
0:58 City housing authority and
0:59 department of investigation.
1:00 I'm pleased to be joined by my
1:02 colleague, chair of the
1:03 comedian criminal justice
1:04 Council Member silvina Brooks
1:07 Powers and we have been joined
1:09 by council members wonka bon
1:11 wrestler, majority leader brad
1:13 councilmember, Brewer and I
1:14 think that is everyone right
1:18 now. Um, so welcome to our
1:21 commissioner, commissioner
1:22 stanley richards and your team
1:23 . Thank you all for joining us
1:25 today to answer our questions
1:26 on May 12 2026, the
1:29 administration released
1:29 executive financial plan for a
1:32 26 2 30 with a proposed at 4
1:34 27 budget of $104.7 billion,
1:39 the department of corrections
1:39 proposed 27 budget of
1:43 represents less than 1% of the
1:44 admin is proposed. 27 Budget
1:47 in the executive plan and this
1:48 is a decrease of or point
1:52 point 4% from the originally
1:54 budgeted in the fiscal 27
1:58 preliminary plan. This
1:59 decreased results from several
1:59 actions, including a vacancy
2:02 reduction and uniform savings
2:02 due to the reduction of over
2:05 500 positions civilian over
2:07 savings and contract
2:10 renegotiations as of April 26,
2:12 diaz was 1239 less than their
2:18 for 26 budget headcount
2:19 throughout this year's budget
2:19 process, we raised concerns
2:20 about the chronic overtime
2:22 spending and correction as
2:23 well as a high vacancy rate
2:24 due to ongoing staffing
2:25 shortages and the ever
2:26 increasing population on
2:29 rikers island. I would als
2:30 olike to take this opportunity
2:31 to an address an issue that is
2:32 very personal for me that over
2:35 50% of the population and I
2:36 know that, you know this,
2:36 commissioner because you and I
2:38 had in our former roles
2:40 conversations about this, but
2:43 50% of the population has a
2:44 mental health day, I'm hopeful
2:47 now that contracted providers
2:48 have been brought back onto
2:49 the island to provide services
2:51 that not only provide
2:53 enrichment, education and life
2:54 skills but also programs that
2:55 are vital to maintaining the
2:58 mental health of the persons
2:59 in our jail system as they
3:00 await their trial dates
3:02 . However, there is so much
3:03 work to be done to ensure that
3:05 custody and care of every
3:07 individual within the justice
3:10 system to ensure the custody
3:11 and care of every individual
3:11 within the justice system, and
3:13 I look forward to hearing from
3:14 you, commissioner about how
3:16 the department will work
3:17 through these challenges now
3:18 and in the years to come and I
3:21 now want to turn it over to my
3:22 co chair for this hearing your
3:25 Council Member Brooks Powers
3:26 for her opening statement.
3:29 Thank you and good morning. I
3:31 am Council Member silvina
3:32 Brooks
3:32 , Powers, chair of the
3:34 committee on criminal justice
3:35 .I want to thank charlie for
3:38 coach here, today's executive
3:39 budget hearing and to thank
3:41 everyone for being here. I'm
3:44 joined. Oh, I think you
3:45 mentioned the
3:45 . Members we joined.
3:46 By so today's hearing will
3:48 focus on the fiscal 20 27
3:51 executive plan for the New
3:52 York City department of
3:54 correction and the continued
3:56 fiscal challenges facing our
3:59 jail system, the department's
4:00 proposed fiscal 20 27 budget
4:04 totals approximately $1.
4:05 3Billion and comes at a time
4:07 when the City continues t
4:10 oface serious concerns
4:11 regarding sffintag shortages,
4:14 facility conditions, safety,
4:15 infrastructure and the ongoing
4:17 effort to close rikers island
4:20 and transition to a burro
4:22 based jail system, the
4:24 executive budget reflects
4:25 significant investments in
4:27 jail operations and
4:29 infrastructure, including
4:29 funding for cell door
4:31 improvements, maintenance work
4:33 across rikers island
4:36 facilities and the accelerated
4:37 opening of the bellevue
4:38 outpost it therapeutic unit a
4:40 t
4:41 . The same time the department
4:43 continues to project
4:44 substantial savings through
4:46 vacancy and overtime
4:47 reductions, resulting I
4:48 nelimination of hundreds of
4:50 vacant uniform positions
4:53 despite ongoing staffing
4:54 shortages and operational
4:58 challenges. Today we will
4:59 examine how the department
5:01 intends to safely manage its
5:02 facilities while operating
5:05 below budgeted headcount
5:07 levels and reducing staffing
5:09 positions. We will also
5:10 on programming, visitation
5:17 ,medical escorts, staff safety,
5:19 detaining safety and overall
5:23 jail operations. Additionally,
5:23 this hearing will explore the
5:25 status of the city's borough
5:27 based jail capital plan, which
5:29 now totals nearly $11.8
5:31 billion through fiscal 20 30.
5:35 We will seek clarity regarding
5:37 project timelines,
5:37 construction progress,
5:39 progress cost increases in how
5:41 the administration plans t
5:43 omanage continued operations on
5:45 rikers island during the
5:49 transition period. We will
5:50 also discuss the ongoing
5:51 issues of state ready
5:52 individuals remaining in City
5:55 custody. The fiscal burden
5:56 places on the City and the
5:59 operational impacts associated
6:01 with delay transfers to state
6:06 facilities
6:07 . The committee looks forward
6:07 to hearing from the department
6:09 of correction regarding how
6:11 the executive budget addresses
6:13 these ongoing challenges and
6:14 what additional actions be
6:17 necessary, still be necessary
6:19 to improve conditions
6:20 ,strength and accountability
6:22 and ensure the safety of both
6:23 staff and incarcerated
6:27 individuals.
6:27 I would like to thank my
6:28 staff and committee staff for
6:29 their hard work, casey life
6:32 scheme, senior financial
6:35 analysts finances assistant
6:36 director jack story chad
6:38 benjamin policy analyst
6:41 sjeremy white men counsel t
6:43 othe committee, julian martin,
6:45 my deputy chief of staff and
6:46 renee taylor, my chief of
6:48 staff, I think everyone who is
6:50 joining us today and look
6:51 forward to a thoughtful and
6:54 productive discussion on the
6:55 department of corrections
6:56 fiscal 20 27 executive budget.
6:58 Thank you, chair. Thank you.
7:01 We've also been joined by
7:03 Council Member and a couple,
7:07 so because of the shortened
7:09 timeline for the budge
7:10 thearings we're having all of
7:11 our public testimony on one
7:15 day so Wednesday, June 10 9 30
7:17 a. M. We're going to have
7:18 public testimony for all the
7:19 different City agencies, so
7:20 please make sure to sign up
7:23 for folks that are sitting
7:24 here and listening actively.
7:24 Make sure to take notes, ask
7:26 questions when you come in
7:27 that day. We want to hear from
7:29 you. So I just wanted to make
7:31 that announcement and we are
7:32 on a tight timeline, so you
7:35 know, if we can keep both
7:36 questions and answers and
7:38 responses as brief as possible
7:38 because we want to make sure
7:39 to get through all the members
7:40 questions that will be greatly
7:41 , greatly appreciated, um, and
7:45 without further oh, and the
7:46 hearing later this at four p.
7:48 M is actually going to be a 2
7:51 50 broadway not here because
7:51 we're getting kicked out of
7:52 this room, right? Yes.
7:56 Okay. So without further ado
7:57 , I'm going to pass it on to
8:00 brian self for amazing
8:01 committee counsel for the
8:04 swearing in.
8:05 Good morning. Do you affirm
8:06 to tell the truth, the whole
8:06 truth and not about the truth
8:07 before this committee and t
8:09 orespond honestly to counsel
8:11 member questions commissioner
8:13 richards. I do, chief remember
8:19 first deputy commissioner ega
8:21 n, senior claude lebec. I do,
8:25 chief lemon. I feel general
8:30 counsel conroy and deputy
8:32 commissioner's a bear. I do,
8:33 you begin. Well. Good morning
8:38 chair, Brooks Powers and
8:40 deadly and members of the
8:42 committee on criminal justice
8:44 and finance. I'm stanley
8:45 richards, commissioner of the
8:46 New York City department of
8:49 correction and I'm joine
8:50 dtoday by members of the
8:50 department's leadership team.
8:54 Thank you for the opportunity
8:55 to discuss the department's
8:56 fiscal year 20 27 executive
8:58 budget and the work ahead of
9:00 us to strengthen safety,
9:02 stability and accountability
9:03 across our system when I
9:07 appeared before the council in
9:08 March for the preliminary
9:09 budget hearing. I spoke about
9:10 the vision and priorities that
9:12 would god, my leadership, I
9:15 said then that transforming a
9:17 system like ours is not like
9:18 turning a speedboat. It's like
9:22 turning a cruise ship that
9:25 remains true today meaningful
9:26 change in a system as large
9:29 and complex as ours requires
9:33 discipline, consistency
9:34 partner and a sustained effor
9:38 t, it requires a balance of
9:40 bold urgency and quiet
9:42 patience in the first fou
9:43 rmonths of my tenure, I have
9:45 spent a great deal of time
9:46 listening and learning. I have
9:50 listened to the dedicated
9:50 staff who worked tirelessly in
9:53 the jails every day I have
9:54 listened to the people in our
9:57 care. I have listened t
10:01 oadvocates, providers, labor
10:02 partners oversight bodies and
10:03 many members of this council
10:07 listening and learning is
10:08 quiet work, but it is not
10:12 idleness, listening matters
10:13 because people closest to the
10:15 work often understand the
10:18 challenges best and we cannot
10:19 undue harm or hope for a
10:20 better future if we do not
10:23 understand the challenges that
10:23 led us to the place we are in
10:26 today while listening be work.
10:28 It is not static work. My team
10:32 and I have been moving with
10:33 urgency on issues that matter
10:35 because the stakes are high
10:38 every single day over the
10:40 first months we have taken
10:42 meaningful step towards
10:43 preparing to department for
10:45 the future while addressing
10:48 immediate operational needs.
10:49 We opened the city's first
10:51 outpost id therapeutic housing
10:52 unit at bellevue hospital,
10:55 creating a New model of care
10:57 for people in custody with
10:58 complex medical needs and
11:01 expanding access to
11:02 specialized treatment and an
11:03 environment designed to
11:05 support health and dignity, we
11:08 reached an important milestone
11:09 in the borough based jail
11:11 transition with the topping
11:12 off of the brooklyn facility
11:15 and continue planning efforts
11:15 with our sister agencies t
11:17 oprepare for one of the most
11:20 significant transitions in
11:20 this city's history
11:24 . We also welcome to hundred
11:26 61. New correction officers
11:27 into our ranks, the
11:29 department's largest
11:30 graduating academy class in
11:32 nearly seven years, an
11:35 important investment and
11:35 rebuilding our workforce and
11:37 supporting safe operations at
11:40 the same time we have
11:42 continued engaging
11:43 collaboratively with the
11:44 remediation manager and his
11:45 team as they on board and
11:48 established their operations.
11:50 We view this work as
11:52 complementary to our border
11:54 goals of strengthening
11:56 accountability, improving even
11:57 effectiveness, reducing
12:00 violence and creating systems
12:01 that are sustainable over tim
12:05 e, real progress requires
12:07 partnership and that includes
12:09 our partnership with the court
12:10 , the remediation manager and
12:11 moment to speak candidly about
12:17 where we are as an agency so
12:20 that conversations today are
12:21 grounded in a share
12:23 dunderstanding of current
12:26 conditions the department does
12:26 not have control over who is
12:28 in our care or for how long,
12:31 but we are a critical player
12:34 in a there is a strong consume
12:37 of care before doing an after
12:41 one's incarceration. Currently
12:43 we have approximately 6700
12:44 people in our care, which is
12:48 significantly above where we
12:49 were several years ago despite
12:52 having fewer staff we need
12:54 support from all of our
12:56 partners to bring that number
12:58 down to promote safe for
13:00 operations in the near ter
13:01 mand to get to the number we
13:03 envisioned for the burro based
13:07 jails continuing to manage a
13:08 population this large creates
13:11 operational pressures across
13:11 nearly every aspect of the
13:14 department's work from housing
13:15 and transportation to medical
13:18 escorts, programming and
13:21 supervision, but proper
13:22 population growth alone does
13:23 not fully describe the
13:24 challenges we are managing
13:27 today's population presents
13:30 increasingly complex
13:30 behavioral health and services
13:33 needs as councilwoman Lee
13:36 described many individuals
13:37 come into our care experience
13:40 in housing instability or
13:42 substance misuse a history of
13:44 trauma and limited social
13:48 supports more than 4100 people
13:49 in our care. Approximately 60%
13:53 of the population have a brett
13:56 h designation indicating
13:58 increased interaction with
13:58 mental health services. In
14:02 addition, 20% of the people in
14:04 our care are identified by our
14:05 partners at health and
14:08 hospitals, health services as
14:10 having serious mental illness
14:14 .these realities shape how we
14:16 staff facilities. How we
14:17 coordinate movement how we
14:19 deliver program and how w
14:20 epartner with correctional
14:22 health services and others to
14:24 provide care before, during
14:26 and after incarceration. But
14:29 this is why I continue to say
14:31 that safety and humanity or
14:34 not competing values. They
14:36 depend on one another. I'll
14:38 staff or asked every day t
14:40 omanage situations involving