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July 24, 2008
Yassky Weighs in on Saint Ann's Probation Office Affair
Just when you thought you'd heard the last of saga involving the impending relocation of the Federal probation office on top of the Saint Ann's campus, along comes this letter dated July 21 from Councilman David Yassky to Judge Dearie. Check it:
I have recently been made aware of plans to consolidate and relocate the Federal Probation Offices and Federal Defenders offices in my district into a new facility 147 Pierrepont. As you know, the proposed new facility at 147 Pierrepont is located on the same block as St. Ann's School and, in fact, is directly situated between the upper and lower schools. As no notification was provided to either to local elected officials, the community, or to the parents of St. Ann's School, it is not surprising that much concern and frustration has been expressed over this proposed move. While I recognize that adequate probation facilities are an important resource that offers critical services to criminals attempting to reenter society and certainly understand the need for these facilities to be close to the courts, I am nonetheless concerned with the close proximity of this new facility to the school. The facility will service all types of federal probation parolees, including convicted sex offenders, and it is this group that it is of particular concern for St. Ann's parents. It seems both unusual and ill considered to compel convicted sex offenders to come so close to a school in the process of their efforts to rehabilitate themselves. As there are currently federal and state laws in place that restrict how close convicted sex offenders can live to a school, it seems fair to expect that similar considerations be taken for probation facilities that service this particular type of criminal. I urge you to take these issues under careful consideration as you consider this new probation facility and ask that you work with the community in order to find an appropriate solution that will mitigate these concerns.
Think this will have any muscle with the Feds?
Saint Ann's To Make the Best of Probation Office Move [Brownstoner]
Federal Probation Officer Defends Proximity to St. Ann's [Brownstoner]
Parole Facility Planned Next Door to St. Ann's School [Brownstoner]
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Comments
Way to jump in for a headline Yassky - you learned well from your old boss Schumer.
Cant wait for your next election - what you running for again? - DA? Congress? Boro Pres? Comptroller?
Posted by: fsrg at July 24, 2008 10:16 AM
Yassky (who I like by the way) has 2 kids at St. Ann's.
Posted by: ssloper at July 24, 2008 11:27 AM
I liked Yassky until I met him in person. I once saw him speak and was somewhat impressed with him. However, I saw him pressing flesh at Atlantic Antic 2 years ago, and mentioned in a very neutral manner that I had seen him speak. His response was something like "I hope you don't dislike me now." I was really taken back by this self-deprecating attitude out of a politician.
I believe he is a glass is half empty type and is bitter about the way he was treated as the white outsider when he ran for Congress. I know politics is a dirty game, and maybe I am reading too much into his comments, but I think he is way too young to be so fatalistic.
Posted by: Knickerbocker at July 24, 2008 12:10 PM
Whatever your politics how can you argue with this? I can't imagine any parent thinking this is a good idea. For $20 some thousand a year why don't they have their own building??? Maybe that's the bigger question here.
Posted by: jbes at July 24, 2008 1:16 PM
Actually, the bigger question for me is how a public servant can afford to send two kids to St. Ann's.
Posted by: Biff Champion at July 24, 2008 1:19 PM
Hmmm Biff isn't Bloomberg a public servant too?
Posted by: jbes at July 24, 2008 1:46 PM
jbes, you got me! Very good. :-)
Posted by: Biff Champion at July 24, 2008 1:49 PM
Maybe his kids are smart and on scholarship? Maybe his wife has a high money job?
Posted by: PLGGirl at July 24, 2008 2:05 PM
Yassky is completely right to ask-- why compel convicted sex offenders to come so close to a school as a part of their efforts to rehabilitate themselves? Common sense, not politics.
Posted by: ll99 at July 24, 2008 2:53 PM
1199,
exactly. Some on here are trying to be so PC that they're overlooking what's in the best interest for all.
Posted by: jbes at July 24, 2008 3:13 PM
2:53 & 3:13 - Do you really think that 100ft one way or another is going to make a particle of difference???
And please stop trying to make it sound like the Fed Probation Office is filled with Sex Offenders - it isn't - virtually the only Federal Offense that is routinely prosecuted that can be labeled a sex crime is distributing child pornography - and in the vast, vast, vast majority of the cases in EDNY it is some pathetic married guy who emailed or download a bunch of disgusting pictures to an undercover agent.
While I am not defending emailing child porn, these (relatively few) defendants are hardly (based on their convictions anyway) child predators.
Real sex offenders (rapists, sex abusers etc....) are prosecuted in state court - and so they have to go over to Jay St - you know the one that is just on the other side of Cadman Plaza and right behind the new Adams St High School - of course no one makes a fuss about that....wonder why?
Posted by: fsrg at July 24, 2008 3:42 PM
Yassky is the real deal (and he's running for Comptroller, by the way). I've known him for 30 years, and he's always had a self-deprecatory sense of humor (and at the same time, he is extremely bright and justifiably self-confident). The sex-offender comment is a rhetorical flourish, I believe, but the underlying point -- convicted criminals on parole constantly passing by any kid's school -- is legitimate.
I don't know who the decision maker is here. If it's Judge Dearie, then he has life tenure and can do what he wants with impunity. But if it's a politician at some level, such as a DOJ official of some sort, then there should be some traction (though I'd expect someone in Congress to be doing the heavy lifting here).
Posted by: ProfRobert at July 24, 2008 5:23 PM
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