YAC Rally for Change

On Thursday, May 19, Osborne’s Youth Action Council (YAC) held a powerful rally 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 at Brooklyn Borough Hall — calling for immediate action to pass a bill that would Protect In-Person Visits in New York State Jails and prisons.

With only a few weeks left in New York’s legislative session, the State Senate and Assembly must bring this bill to the final step, by bringing it to a full vote in each house. Visiting is crucial for families with incarcerated loved ones and for Osborne’s Youth Action Council and many children across the state, passing the Protect In-Person Visiting bill (A4250A/S2841A) would support the preservation of family bonds, giving children the ability to touch, and hug their parents while visiting them in jail or prison. Maintaining in-person contact visits for families and children with incarcerated parents is critical and cannot be replaced by video visiting.

Sponsored by Osborne’s New York Initiative for Children of Incarcerated Parents, the rally was supported by Hour Children, Neighbors in Action’s Youth Impact, Greater Hudson Promise Neighborhood, We Got Us Now, and New Hour for Women and Children Long Island. The diverse and multi-generational crowd welcomed Assemblymember David I. Weprin who sponsors the bill and chairs the Corrections Committee in the Assembly, along with Assemblymember Kenny Burgos and Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon.

As the end of this year’s legislative session quickly approaches, we still need your support in getting this bill passed. Use your voice to uplift the dynamic work of Osborne’s Youth Action Council to support children of incarcerated parents in New York State.

You can do this by:

Calling, emailing, and tweeting Assembly Speaker Heastie and Senate Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins TODAY and ask that they schedule A4250A/S2841A for a vote now. The session ends June 2, 2022. Help us make some noise!

Call Assembly Speaker Heastie: 518-455-3791

Email: Speaker@nyassembly.gov

Call Senate Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins: 518-455-2715

Email: scousins@nysenate.gov

Sample phone/email script:​

Subject: Pass Protect In-Person Visits bill A4250A/S2841A TODAY ​

Visiting is a lifeline for families, 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. We cannot let this happen in New York. The Protect In-Person Visits bill (S2841A/A4250A) would require correctional facilities to offer evening or weekend visiting hours and protect in-person visits from being replaced with video conferencing. The Senate passed this bill in 2020 and 2021 and it is critical that both houses pass this bill and send it to the Governor this session. Families are counting on you to support their relationships. ​
Thank you.