Bill Text: NY K02334 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced

New York Assembly Resolution 2334

Introduced

Bill Title: Commemorating the 10th Anniversary of the New York State Defenders Association's Veterans Defense Program

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Passed) 2024-05-30 - adopted [K02334 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-K02334-Introduced.html


Assembly Resolution No. 2334

BY: M. of A. Jean-Pierre

        COMMEMORATING the 10th Anniversary of the New York
        State   Defenders   Association's  Veterans  Defense
        Program

  WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to  recognize  and
commend  illustrious  organizations  of  the State of New York that have
made a substantial impact on the lives of veterans and  their  families;
and

  WHEREAS,  Attendant  to  such  concern,  and in full accord with its
long-standing traditions, this  Legislative  Body  is  justly  proud  to
commend  the  Veterans  Defense  Program  (VDP)  of  the  New York State
Defenders Association (NYSDA) upon the occasion of its 10th Anniversary;
and

  WHEREAS, NYSDA's Executive Director Jonathan E.  Gradess  and  Board
Member  Gary  A.  Horton identified the failure of our justice system to
recognize veterans' service-related trauma and mental health  conditions
and the need for treatment rather than incarceration; and

  WHEREAS,  NYSDA  founded  the  VDP in 2014, the first program of its
kind in the nation that has the goal of ensuring  each  veteran  has  an
effective advocate in New York's criminal and family courts; and

  WHEREAS,  The  VDP  started  with three employees and has grown to a
staff of four expert attorneys, three  veteran  case  managers,  and  an
experienced veteran program coordinator; and

  WHEREAS, The VDP promotes trauma-informed representation of veterans
and   service   members   by  providing  substantial  legal  assistance,
mitigation,  and  training  to  public  defense  attorneys  representing
veterans  involved in the criminal and family court systems and offering
treatment  referrals  and  peer-to-peer  mentoring  to  justice-involved
veterans; and

  WHEREAS,  The  VDP  has  helped many justice-involved veterans to be
diverted into treatment while sparing veterans  from  incarceration  and
connecting   them  to  treatment,  leading  to  family  restoration  and
meaningful re-integration into their communities; and

  WHEREAS, The VDP has trained hundreds of defense attorneys,  judges,
prosecutors,  and other members of New York's criminal and family courts
about  military  culture  and   cultural   competency,   trauma-informed
representation,  and  the  effects  of  Post-Traumatic  Stress Disorder,
Traumatic Brain Injury, Military Sexual Trauma,  and  other  conditions;
and

  WHEREAS,  The  VDP  staff  have  dedicated  themselves  to providing
services to improve the lives of justice-involved veterans; and

  RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its  deliberations  to
commemorate  the  10th  Anniversary  of  the  Veterans  Defense Program,

recognizing its crucial role in improving and strengthening the lives of
justice-involved veterans and their families; and be it further

  RESOLVED,  That  a  copy  of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to the  New  York  State  Defenders  Association's  Veterans
Defense Program.