Yusef Salaam
NYC Council Member · Since 2022
What This Office Can Do
- Proposes and votes on city laws
- Approves or rejects the city budget
- Holds agencies accountable through public hearings
- Directs discretionary funds to local projects
Background
Dr. Yusef Salaam was one of the Exonerated Five, wrongfully convicted in 1989 at age fifteen in the Central Park jogger case and exonerated in 2002 after spending years incarcerated for crimes he did not commit. Over the past two decades he has become a family man, poet, activist, and inspirational speaker who uses his platform to educate the public about mass incarceration and police brutality. He received an Honorary Doctorate in 2014 and a Lifetime Achievement Award from President Barack Obama in 2016.
- Career
- Activist, poet, and inspirational speaker focused on criminal justice reform
- Education
- Honorary Doctorate (2014)
Policy Priorities
- Criminal Justice Reform — Advocates for systemic criminal justice reform based on personal experience with wrongful conviction
- Prison Reform — Active advocate for reforming conditions and practices within the prison system
- Abolition of Juvenile Solitary Confinement — Calls for ending the use of solitary confinement for juveniles
- Abolition of Capital Punishment — Advocates for ending capital punishment
- Police Brutality Awareness — Educates the public about police brutality rooted in the justice system
Issue Stances
Sourced from public statements, council votes, and news coverage via AI research. Verify with primary sources.
Issue Stances
Legislative Record
A public outreach and education program regarding Hajj and Umrah-related scams
The distribution of information regarding the availability of halal and kosher food in schools
Procedures for and reporting on curing ballots for voters in department of correction custody
Establishing a support fund for small businesses affected by roadway construction
Regulating the police department’s response to first amendment events
Resolution calling upon the United States Congress to pass, and the President to sign, H.J.Res.80/S.J.Res.38, establishing the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment
Requiring the police department to publish daily maps depicting collisions involving department vehicles and locations where department vehicles exceeded the speed limit
Resolution calling on the New York State Legislature to pass, and the Governor to sign, legislation marking the month of December as Christian Heritage Month
Conduct & Ethics
Data sourced from NYC Legistar, NYC Campaign Finance Board, NYC Conflicts of Interest Board, and curated public records. This page is a permanent record of Yusef Salaam's service in District 9.