For Immediate Release

Contact: media@vera.org

New York, New York: In response to Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s release of the Fiscal Year 2027 Executive Budget, Benjamin Heller, program manager of the Greater Justice New York initiative at the Vera Institute of Justice, issued the following statement:

“Mayor Mamdani’s executive budget demonstrates his commitment to being serious about safety. We applaud the many historic investments that will deliver safety and stability for communities across the city, including $40 million for the Office of Community Safety, $47 million for community-based mental health treatment, and $26 million for the Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes. These are substantial investments that will prevent crime and break its cycle, stopping people from going to Rikers Island in the first place and returning to jail once released. New Yorkers deserve safety, accountability, and justice—these community-based investments will deliver all three, and will help make the closure of Rikers Island a reality.

“For the critics who question these investments in prevention and community-based care, which will keep New Yorkers safe and help close Rikers Island, they represent just a tiny fraction of the nearly $3 billion New York City spends on its jails every year. This administration understands that we cannot incarcerate our way to safety. By allocating significant funding to community-based services, Mayor Mamdani is positioning New York City as a leader and innovator in public safety.

“We are pleased to see that the executive budget also reduces Fiscal Year 2027 uniformed headcount at the Department of Correction by 586, from 7,060 to 6,474. This reduction will not result in any layoffs; rather, it will set the department up for greater efficiency, ensuring that the city’s jails are staffed smartly and safely while freeing up funds for other vital community-based services.

“New York City is at a remarkable moment where major crime has declined by 9.5 percent citywide, and the first four months of 2026 had the fewest murders in the city’s recorded history. But one shooting, one homicide, or one assault is one too many. 

“New Yorkers deserve access to services that do more than intervene after a crisis has taken place. We look forward to working with the Mamdani administration to scale the community-based infrastructure required to prevent harm, interrupt cycles of violence, and ultimately deliver safety more effectively than relying only on the costly tools of arrest and incarceration.”

About the Vera Institute of Justice: The Vera Institute of Justice is powered by hundreds of advocates, researchers, and policy experts working to transform the criminal justice and immigration systems until they’re fair for all. Founded in 1961 to advocate for alternatives to money bail in New York City, Vera is now a national organization that partners with impacted communities and government leaders for change. We develop just, antiracist solutions so that money doesn’t determine freedom; fewer people are in jails, prisons, and immigration detention; and everyone is treated with dignity. Vera’s headquarters is in Brooklyn, New York, with offices in Washington, DC, New Orleans, and Los Angeles. For more information, visit vera.org.