WHEREAS, Eric Gonzalez is a lifelong Brooklyn resident who has served the residents of borough as a public prosecutor for almost twenty-five years and now as the Brooklyn District Attorney since 2016; and

WHEREAS, his 2020 Office Action Plan indicates his plans to collaborate with the Department of Education so that school-based offenses can be dealt with using restorative justice practices that allow young people to take responsibilities for their actions, make amends to the people they have harmed, and avoid prosecution entirely;

WHEREAS, in the summer of 2016 he established one of two in the country Young Adult Courts to handle cases for young people under 24 who are too old to be treated as juveniles but not developmentally prepared to be treated as adults; and

WHEREAS, in an effort to protect immigrant families he created the first in the city Immigration Unit to handle cases involving immigrants to make sure that low-level cases do not result in disproportionate punishments, such as deportations;

WHEREAS, as Brooklyn District Attorney, he will work to send fewer people to jail without compromising the safety of Brooklyn residents; therefore; be it

RESOLVED, that the UFT endorse Eric Gonzalez in his re-election for Brooklyn District Attorney as we believe he will be a strong ally for working people, our schools and our community.