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District attorneys press council for victims services, youth programs and discovery funds
Summary
Six prosecutors told the City Council they need more funding for victim therapy, youth diversion, community justice centers and discovery technology; the Bronx DA requested $2.2M for therapists and a $600k city match for a federal youth justice pilot, while other DAs cited program capacity and IT needs.
A six‑person panel of district attorneys and the city’s special narcotics prosecutor used a City Council public‑safety hearing to press for baseline and capital funding for victim services, alternatives to incarceration (ATI) programs, community justice centers and discovery/case‑management systems.
Bronx DA Darcel Clark asked the council to fund an immediate $2.2 million in fiscal 2027 (and $2.1 million baseline) to hire additional trauma therapists for the Crime Victims Assistance Bureau and asked the city to provide $600,000 to match a $650,000 federal JIBY pilot (Justice Innovation for Bronx Youth) that serves high‑risk youth with clinical screening, case management and credible messengers.
Staten Island DA Michael McMahon said Staten Island recorded a 49% decrease in opioid overdose deaths in 2025 but said his borough remains under‑resourced; he sought capital and operational funding to create a Staten Island community justice center and requested three additional felony ADAs for a new domestic violence bureau.
Brooklyn DA Eric Gonzalez focused on a structural funding shortfall driven by high commercial rent and heavy case volume, asked for dedicated hate‑crime funding and investment in restorative and diversion programs including Project Restore, which he said has shown cost‑benefit returns. Queens DA Melinda Katz and Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg each described heavy caseloads and urged continued support for gun diversion, victim‑services and problem‑solving court expansions; Bragg also asked the council to consider city support for neighborhood and court‑based navigator programs.
Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget Brennan emphasized progress in reducing overdose deaths (a roughly one‑third decline in 2024 versus prior highs) but warned fentanyl mixtures and pill‑press operations remain serious threats; she urged expanded ATI capacity and additional discovery litigation funding, including a specified request for $2.2 million to expand discovery litigation units and staffing in at least one office.
Across the panel prosecutors said ATI and diversion programs — pre‑arraignment options, gun diversion, Project Restore and court‑based alternatives — have strong participation and some promising results, but lack capacity. Many of the DAs told the committee that providers such as the Fortune Society, Osborne and the Center for Justice Innovation are at or near capacity and need sustained city funding for expansion.
What happens next: DAs will submit written budget details and the council will weigh capital and operating asks as part of the FY27 budget process.
