Jails boss is scolded
‘Haven’t seen a lot of you’ during pandemic: councilman
A city councilman on Tuesday sharply called out Correction Commissioner Cynthia Brann for her public absence during the coronavirus crisis — as the city jails agency finally revealed that more than 1,100 inmates had been tested for COVID-19.
“Commissioner, I want to ask you personally because we haven’t seen a lot of you,” Councilman Rory Lancman (D-Manhattan) snarked during a joint meeting of the Justice System and Criminal Justice committees.
“Can you tell me what are you doing — you personally — to make sure these operational changes ... are actually happening?” he asked.
Brann fired back that she frequently reviews audits about agency protocol and tours the city jails to make sure everything is running smoothly.
“I’m not sure what you mean that you haven’t seen me out there, that could be in front of the press,” Brann (photo) replied. “But I’ve been busy in the jails. I talk with staff, I talk with people in our custody to make sure everyone is aware of how to protect themselves as much as possible against [this] disease.”
Lancman, chairman of the Justice System Committee, said many correction officers and family members of those behind bars have reached out to him about concerns over her command.
“They want to know that you’re out there, that you’re leading,” he said. “It’s true, we haven’t seen you, as you put it, out in front of the press. I’m not saying you need to be — I just want to know that you’re handling this, that you’re leading this effort in as much of a hands-on way as possible.”
The tense exchange came during a meeting centered around three proposed bills sponsored by Councilman Keith Powers (D-Manhattan), chairman of the Criminal Justice Committee. One calls for more coronavirus data out of the jails — including how many people in custody have been tested for COVID-19.
Dr. Patricia Yang, senior vice president for Correctional Health Services, revealed that 1,270 tests had been administered to people in custody as of May 15. Of those tests, 573 came back positive.
A total of 1,154 people have been tested, she added, noting some individuals got more than one test. Of those, 545 individuals tested positive.
The testing numbers haven’t been publicly released prior to the meeting despite repeated calls to publish the data.
“There has been concern ... about how our numbers are interpreted. The more you test, the more you will find,” Yang said, noting the agency tests at a rate that’s 4.3 times higher than the city rate, and began administering antibody tests on Tuesday.
The other proposed bills include lowering fees for family members who want to send money to relatives behind bars, and calling for a commission to assess the potential release of those serving city sentences, which are usually less than a year.
“In the midst of all this, the need to monitor jail conditions and to release as many people in custody as possible could not be clearer,” Powers said.