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Once again we need your help in contacting the governor and other key legislators leaders, and we will ask that each of you make these calls June 24, 25 and 28. As the governor and state legislators will be working diligently to pass a state budget before July 1, we can not impress upon you enough the strong need to personally call the representatives listed, and asking them to RESTORE FUNDING for Uth Turn. Below are the contact numbers for these key state representatives who are pivotal players in determining whether funding for Uth Turn is restored.
It has been three months since Uth Turn received the notice of termination of its 2010-2011 contract with New York State Office of Children and Family Services because of the unavailability of funds. Since that date, we have been waging an intense struggle to restore Uth Turn’s funding so that we will be able to continue to serve hundreds of young people in all five boroughs of New York City. Thus far, your support and prayers have resulted in positive feedback from legislative leaders and supporters. We ask you to please continue your support during this critical time.
Governor David A. Paterson
State Capitol, Albany, NY 12224
Tel: 518-474-8390
Assemblyman Herman “Denny” Farrell
Chair, Ways & Means Committee
LOB 923, Albany, NY 12248
Tel: 518-455-5491
Senator John Sampson
Democratic Conference Leader
409 Legislative Office Building, Albany, NY 12247
Tel: 518-455-2788
Senator Velmanette Montgomery, Assistant Majority Whip
Chair, Children & Families Committee
711 Legislative Office Building, Albany, NY 12247
Tel: 518-455-3451
Assemblyman William Scarbourgh
Chair, Children & Families Committee
LOB 622, Albany, NY 12248
Tel: 518-455-4451
Assemblyman Karim Camara
LOB 519, Albany, NY 12248
Tel: 518-455-5262
Also sign our petition at Change.org.
UTH-TURN RALLIES AGAINST PROJECT TERMINATION
An April 26 New York Times editorial promoted the passage of the ReDirect NY legislation that Senator Velmanette Montgomery is seeking to have included in the state’s stalled at the moment budget negotiations process. If enacted, this proposal would provide a significant financial incentive to the state’s cities and counties to establish alternatives to detention and incarceration for young people.
Youth, providers, community members and advocates came together on March 24 to rally outside of Governor Paterson’s New York City office in protest of the proposed budget cuts to critical youth programs, including Uth-Turn. “We rally today for the future of thousands of young people in New York. We appeal to the Governor and the New York State Senate and Assembly to do a cost/benefit analysis and restore these budget cuts,” said Rev. Dr. C. Vernon Mason. (For more details, see the press release. To see the rally, view the video.)
On March 2, 2010, Uth Turn received notice that the project will be terminated, effective March 31st.
The Governor and New York State Office of Children and Family Services spend $210,000 per young person annually to house a juvenile in a residential facility, but on March 2, it cut Uth Turn, which costs less than $1,000 per young person annually. Since 1999, Uth-Turn has served more than 5,000 at risk youth in a faith-based initiative serving all five boroughs in New York. Uth Turn has a recidivism rate of less than 7% for our court mandated young people or a 94% success rate.
This abrupt cut will result in a cessation of services for more than 500 African-American, Latino and Korean young people, and the termination notice makes no provision for these vulnerable, at-risk youth. To learn more about the effects of the cuts, and the young lives Uth-Turn influences, read a letter from Willie Thomas, Uth-Turn Facilitator/Coordinator Outreach.
On March 12, Omar Epps, from Fox's TV show "House," spoke on Larry King Live about Uth-Turn's effectiveness in reaching teens and its lack of funding. Rev. Dr. C. Vernon Mason also spoke against the Uth-Turn program's termination in a March 11 article in the New York Amsterdam News.
Click here for a copy of the special resolution adopted Sunday, April 25 at the 188th Session of the New York Annual Conference of the African Methodist Episcopal Church that includes concerns over the state budget cuts and support for Uth-Turn.
Uth-Turn plans to fight the state's decision and has prepared a letter to go to legislators. Click below to view other letters written on behalf of Uth-Turn from:
If you want to help, please write a letter on behalf of Uth-Turn to:
Assemblyman Herman D. Farrell
Chair Ways & Means Committee
New York State Assembly
2541-55 Seventh Ave.
New York, NY, 10039
Gladys Carrion, Esq.
Commissioner of the New York State Office of Children & Family Services
Capital View Office Park
52 Washington Street
Rennsselaer, NY, 12144-2796.
Want to know more about the Uth Turn program?
Click here to learn about Who We Are.
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