Crime Survivors In NYC Strongly Prefer Treatment, Diversion Over Incarceration System

A new study released today by Alliance for Safety and Justice and the Independent Rikers Commission sheds light on the perspectives of New York City crime survivors regarding the criminal justice system and how to best improve public safety and victims’ services.

The New York City Crime Survivors Speak report finds that crime survivors support investments and reforms that will hasten the closure of Rikers Island and the transition to a safer, more effective system, including:

• Mental health and drug treatment and diversion over incarceration.
• Moving people with mental illness and addiction issues out of jail and into treatment.
• Housing individuals awaiting trial in smaller facilities closer to courts.
• Speeding up trials.
• Funding violence prevention and youth programs over more incarceration.

The study, which interviewed 1,800 New York City residents, including 1,296 New Yorkers who have been victims of crime or violence, comes at a pivotal moment: New York City is approaching the 2027 legal deadline to close Rikers, and the Independent Rikers Commission will soon finalize its recommendations to safely shutter Rikers. This survey challenges long-held assumptions about crime victims’ preferences, offering a clear message: crime survivors strongly prefer solutions that address the drivers of crime and help prevent future harm, rather than focusing solely on incarceration and punishment.

Report’s Key Findings:

• 75% of crime survivors support alternatives to incarceration such as diversion, mental health and drug treatment, and restorative justice.
• 86% of all crime survivors support moving people who have mental illness and addiction issues into secure treatment facilities rather than jail.
• 91% of crime survivors support speeding up trials so that defendants and victims wait less time for case resolution.
• 65% of crime survivors support housing people awaiting trial in smaller jails near courthouses.
• By a nearly 2 to 1 margin,crime survivors prefer shorter incarceration sentences and spending more on prevention/rehabilitation over prison and jail sentences that keep people incarcerated for as long as possible.
• When it comes to public safety, crime survivors were most likely to prioritize investments in mental health and substance use treatment, violence prevention, and reentry support. Crime survivors were least likely to support investments in increased arrests, longer sentences, or expanding prisons and jails.

“Crime survivors have spoken clearly: they want a system that prioritizes treatment and prevention – addressing the root causes of crime – and safety policies that will move us away from the disaster of Rikers,” said Judge Jonathan Lippman, Chair of the Independent Rikers Commission, and former Chief Judge of New York State. “The voice of our city’s survivors of crime should be front and center – as they are to the Independent Rikers Commission – as we craft solutions to ensure the closure of Rikers and move towards a safer, more effective justice system for New York City.”

The study also finds a disproportionate impact of crime on low-income neighborhoods, people of color, LGTBQ people, people with disabilities and people with criminal records. Specific findings around the experience of crime victims include:

• Close to 20% of violent crime victims reported losing their jobs or being demoted as a result of their victimization; and as many feared being forced from their home or were evicted.
• Just over one third of violent crime victims said they received any mental health counseling
• Only 6% of violent crime victims reported receiving any compensation from New York State’s victim compensation program
• Only 25% said that the criminal justice system was helpful in getting them the help that they needed. 

“Victims of crime understand like few others can fathom the toll of violence on individuals, families and communities,” said Aswad Thomas, a victim of gun violence, vice president of the Alliance for Safety and Justice, and national director of Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice. “Victims of violent crime want to heal, prevent crime before it happens, and most of all to be safe. Stopping crime before it happens isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach, and policymakers will find a lot of support from victims like me if they look to solutions other than incarceration to prevent violent crime and future victims.”

This report makes evident the gaps between the status quo and a system that addresses the needs and wishes of crime victims. 

Alliance for Safety and Justice

Alliance for Safety and Justice is a national organization that aims to win new safety priorities in states across the country. It partners with leaders to advance state reform through research, coalition building, education and advocacy. For more information, visit allianceforsafetyandjustice.org.

Independent Rikers Commission

The Independent Rikers Commission seeks to help the City of New York close the jail complex on Rikers Island, improve safety and the functioning of the criminal justice system, safely reduce unnecessary incarceration, develop state-of-the-art, borough-based jails and secure treatment beds, and repurpose Rikers as a hub of green infrastructure. Chaired by former New York State Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman, the Commission is an independent body of civic leaders from many backgrounds, including corrections, law enforcement, victims’ services, the judiciary, academia, service providers, business, and people who have spent time behind bars.

Photo credit: HWM.