Osborne's Youth Action Council 2023 Advocacy Day

Osborne’s Youth Action Council (YAC) continues to play an instrumental role in breaking down the barriers that families in New York face to stay connected with their incarcerated loved ones. The young leaders of the YAC use their own experiences of parental incarceration to be an influential voice for families affected by incarceration statewide.

Earlier this week, Osborne’s Youth Action Council (YAC) hosted its annual Advocacy Day. Joined by Osborne staff and members from ally organizations, these passionate young advocates traveled to Albany to meet with New York State Senators and Assemblymembers to urge them to pass the Protect In-Person Visiting bill (A6488/S3318).

The Youth Action Council is a full school-year program made up of young people, ages 15 to 19, who have been affected by parental incarceration. The YAC provides a supportive, creative space for participants to interact and collaborate with peers who have similar experiences. Programs like the YAC also help members maintain a meaningful relationship with their incarcerated parents. In program sessions, YAC participants developed useful tools and leadership skills to advocate for policies and practices that support children and families impacted by the criminal legal system. The YAC has been actively advocating for easier access to incarcerated loved ones in New York in a continued push for the passage of the Protect In-Person Visiting bill.

After disembarking in front of the Empire State Plaza in Albany, the group of young advocates and allies strategically split into smaller groups and took to canvassing the Legislative Office and State Capitol buildings. They spent the day speaking to representatives and sharing their stories of their experiences visiting their incarcerated parents to rally support for the Protect In-Person Visiting bill. Rafiq is a YAC member who was introduced to the program through Osborne’s Family Ties, a program that aims to support and maintain the mother-child bond during incarceration. Rafiq and his twin sister were able to stay connected with their mother who was incarcerated at Albion Correctional Facility thanks to Osborne’s free video visiting service. In a meeting with Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes, Rafiq recounted the meaningful impact of being able to see his mother in-person at Albion after “feeling separated” for two and a half years. He said to Assemblymember Peoples-Stokes, “I was so relieved to see my mother laugh and smile… Televisiting is not the same as seeing my mother in-person.”

Assemblymember David Weprin, co-sponsor of the Protect In-Person Visiting bill, invited the YAC to the New York State Assembly Chamber. The Osborne contingent was greeted with a resounding round of applause for their tireless commitment to supporting children and families impacted by incarceration. The YAC later had an insightful conversation with Assemblymember Eddie Gibbs – the first formerly incarcerated person to be elected to the New York State legislature. YAC member Jamila asked Assemblymember Gibbs, “What is your purpose? Why do you wake up every day to do what you do?”

Gibbs attributed his new purpose as a public servant to his own experience with incarceration in an honest response, saying “Being in prison helped me reawaken my dormant feelings about life, about my community, and more importantly, about my family. Instead of repeating the same behavior that got me [in prison] I chose to do something better.” Gibbs ended the conversation telling the young changemakers that their unique perspectives are valuable in advocating for and representing system-impacted communities.

As a result of the YAC’s efforts, five additional members of the New York State Assembly have committed their support for the Protect In-Person Visiting bill. Thank you Assemblymembers Yudelka Tapia, Patrick Burke, Brian Cunningham, Sarah Clark, Demond Meeks, and everyone who has already signed onto the bill. We also thank every elected official who took time out of their hectic schedules to meet with the YAC on their day of advocacy.

Lastly, we thank Neighbors in Action’s Youth Impact, Greater Hudson Promise Neighborhood, Citizens’ Committee for Children of New York, and New Hour for Women and Children Long Island for joining us to build a united voice in Albany in support of children and families in New York. Regardless of the Protect In-Person Vists bill’s outcome this legislative session, the fight to keep families connected is not over, and the YAC’s leadership continues to be a source of inspiration.