Chenye Castroni presented testimony before City Council Committee on Fire and Criminal Justice Services
Bronx Defenders Criminal Defense Social Worker Cheyne Castroni presented testimony before the New York City Council Committee on Fire and Criminal Justice Services earlier this week in support of Intro Number 770, which would require that the Department of Correction (DOC) establish a crisis intervention program.
Cheyne shared his experiences employing his crisis intervention training in various scenarios with dozens of clients incarcerated at Rikers Island, and highlighted the gap in capacity of DOC staff to meet the complex demands placed on them by incarcerated individuals with mental illness, a growing population of concern.