BOL’s leadership rips Astorino over sick inmate plan
Westchester County Board of Legislators Vice-Chairman Lyndon D. Williams, D-Mount Vernon and Board Chairman Ken Jenkins, D-Yonkers, spoke out against a plan recently announced by County Executive Rob Astorino’s administration to begin receiving the County’s prison inmates at Mount Vernon Hospital. Under this plan, New York Correct Care Solutions, which was selected by the Astorino to provide correctional health services to inmates at the County jail, will now contract with Mount Vernon Hospital to use the existing state facility’s 14-bed prison ward for sick inmates.
The Astorino administration has opposed or attempted to block several projects which are beneficial to Mount Vernon such as child care subsidies for low-income working families; funding for the Mount Vernon Youth Bureau that provides positive programs to keep at-risk youth off of the streets; funding for renovations at Memorial Field; and funding for housing and major economic development and job creation initiatives and programs.
“Through this plan, this Administration is sending a horrible message to our children and residents that the only program it enthusiastically supports for our community is the prison complex,” said Williams. “Instead of placing obstacles in the way of Mount Vernon’s progress, the Astorino Administration should be assisting the city with economic development and programs for those residents of Westchester county who are most in need.”
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So let me get this strait. It is alright for the prisoners to go to the medical center in Valhalla, but not to Mt. Vernon. It sends a bad message to the kids. How about the Valhalla Kids. They don’t count?? Ask yourself where these prisoners originate from any how? Do they come from the Valhalla community. Why is this a problem for Mt. Vernon?
The Northern section of the County doesn’t count and all the people in the Northern section of the County should take exception to Mr. Williams statement. This statement was mean spirted towards the Valhalla area that has had these prisoners not only living in the jail located in their community, but sent to the hospital in their community for decades. Give Mr. a Break Mr. Williams, if your theory works the kids in the Northern section should be traumitized for life. Thanks for showing your true colors!!