Mayor signs dyslexia screening in city jails bill
A bill, sponsored by Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, promises the city will screen incarcerated New Yorkers in city jails for dyslexia and provide appropriate interventions and a path to literacy. It was signed into law last week.
Williams’ bill, Intro 349‑A, would require the Department of Correction (DOC), in collaboration with the Department of Education (DOE), to screen all individuals between the ages of 18-21 in custody who self-report the lack of a high school diploma or its equivalent for dyslexia and offer evidence-based interventions.
“As a student, I struggled with Tourette syndrome, which is very visible, and ADHD, which, like dyslexia, is not,” said Williams. “Both undiagnosed until high school. I, too, got into a little trouble, probably still get into trouble now. Once I could put a name on it and develop a learning plan, it immensely improved my education outlook.”
Williams hopes his bill will address the many adults in the criminal justice system who struggle with undiagnosed dyslexia or difficulty with reading comprehension. Rikers Island was not designed to truly support the needs or well-being of people on the inside, said Williams.“By screening and servicing affected people, we can provide better support for incarcerated New Yorkers, help prevent them from reentering the criminal legal system in the future, and for some of them, give them a first chance, not even a second one,” said Williams.
Similarly, Mayor Eric Adams spoke at the signing about his experience with undiagnosed dyslexia as a child in the city. “I think it had a major impact on my life trajectory,” said Adams. “We are looking at not only our students but we’re looking at those who are incarcerated, because [understanding] your learning disabilities any time in life can allow you to place yourself on the right pathway if you get the help that you need.”
DOC Commissioner Louis Molina said that the new law will help change the lives of justice-involved individuals by offering them support, and also improve public safety across the city.
Councilmember Gale Brewer, who was at the signing, added that if the city “had done a better job” of meeting the educational service gap it may have prevented many people from going into the criminal system in the first place. “We introduced this bill, I think last term, and I’m glad we have this administration working with us to get this done,” she said.
Ariama C. Long is a Report for America corps member and writes about politics for the Amsterdam News. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep her writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today by visiting https://bit.ly/amnews1.
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