Osborne’s Youth Action Council rallies to Protect In-Person Visiting

On May 12, Osborne’s Youth Action Council (YAC) rallied on the steps of Brooklyn Borough Hall. The YAC, young people who have experienced the incarceration of a parent, gathered with other youth, elected officials, formerly incarcerated parents, family members, and advocates to call for immediate action to pass the Protect In-Person Visiting bill (A6488/S3318) in New York State jails and prisons.

YAC members Jamila Small and Genesis Rodriguez opened the rally with a call to action, urging legislators to pass the bill and highlighting the importance of visiting for families with incarcerated loved ones. YAC member Fikky Ogunlade emphasized the disproportionate number of families of color with incarcerated loved ones and the barriers they face like the high price of phone calls to jails and prisons, and limited visiting hours that occur during the school and work day. “Ten [New York] jails don’t have evening or weekend hours - this bill would change that,” he said. YAC member Rafiq Tate expressed how important in-person visits were to him, and how they helped him preserve his relationship with his mother during her incarceration.

Assemblymember and bill sponsor David I. Weprin asked the crowd to remember all incarcerated mothers and those who are incarcerated and cannot see their mothers, repeating that video is no substitute for visiting. Deputy Brooklyn Borough President Rev. Kim Council, who told the crowd she has experienced the incarceration of her brother, underscored the need for reform.

Rahson Johnson of Save Our Streets and Osborne Speakers Bureau member and mother Shameeka France both shared that visits helped make their personal transformations possible. Shameeka attributed her success to her relationship with her daughter, leaving the crowd with a message that healing starts inside. “I’m not the worst thing I’ve ever done,” she said.

The end of this year’s legislative session is quickly approaching. You can support the work of Osborne’s Youth Action Council by:

Calling, emailing, and tweeting your New York State Senator and Assemblymember TODAY and urging them to pass S3318/A6488 this session.

Find your NY State Legislators here

Sample phone/email script:​

Subject: Pass Protect In-Person Visits bill S3318/A6488 TODAY

Dear _____________ ,

Visiting is a lifeline for families with incarcerated loved ones, but limited visiting hours at some jails make it difficult to visit and I am alarmed that jails across the country are replacing in-person visits with video conferencing. The Protect In-Person Visits bill (S3318/A6488) would require correctional facilities to offer evening and/or weekend visiting hours and protect in-person visits in State and local correctional facilities from being replaced with video conferencing.

The Senate passed this bill three years in a row, but the Assembly failed to do so even though the bill advanced to third reading in 2022. It is critical that the legislature send this bill to Governor Hochul this session. Please let leadership know you will vote yes to protect in-person visits by co-sponsoring bill S3318/A6488 today. Families are counting on you to support their relationships. ​

​Thank you.