New York Moves A Step Closer To Decriminalizing Sex Work
After organizing to repeal the “walking while trans” ban, advocates in the state—and around the country—are looking ahead to the next fight.
Governor Andrew Cuomo
Bryce Covert
New Jersey Could Force Cuomo’s Hand on Pot Legalization
The New York governor has released a plan to legalize marijuana, months after voters in the Garden State approved legalization in November. Advocates say the pressure could have ripple effects regionally.
Andrew Cuomo Promised Criminal Justice Reforms, But New York Is Still Waiting
The governor has rolled back bail reform, not released enough prisoners during the pandemic, and failed to rein in police abuses, advocates and prisoners say.
New York Watchdogs Lack Data to Track Judges’ Compliance With Bail Reform
Although the new law took effect in January, state data showing how courts are applying it won’t be available until July 2021. And without funding, courts in small towns and villages may never collect the data.
Advocates Hope New Momentum Around Racial Justice Will Accelerate New York’s Plans To Limit Solitary Confinement
A year after state officials said they would take steps to overhaul solitary confinement rules, prisoners remain isolated in conditions that one says is akin to being ‘buried alive.’
Isolation, Death, And Grief at a New York Women’s Prison
Coronavirus infections climb at the state’s only maximum-security facility for women, and those held there fear for their safety.
Pregnant Woman in Pennsylvania Jail Denied Release
An Erie County judge said the pregnant 20-year-old would be ‘safer’ in jail from the COVID-19 outbreak.
New York Lawmakers Push for Real Rent Relief Amid COVID-19 Outbreak
Their proposals move beyond Governor Andrew Cuomo’s 90-day eviction moratorium and call for suspending or forgiving rent payments longer term.
Rikers Island Physician Voices Coronavirus Fears As Cuomo Meets With Officials Looking To Scuttle Bail Reforms
Late Wednesday, the chief physician at the Rikers jail complex said on Twitter that judges and prosecutors must not leave New York City’s jailed population ‘in harm’s way.’
Coronavirus: We’re Urged To Wash Our Hands, But For Some It’s Not That Simple
Public health recommendations aren’t easy to follow for the incarcerated, unhoused, or the thousands who’ve been subjected to water shutoffs in recent years.
Prosecutors Blame Discovery Reform Law For Overtime, Tax Hikes, And a Murder
Spotlights like this one provide original commentary and analysis on pressing criminal justice issues of the day. You can read them each day in our newsletter, The Daily Appeal. When I was working as a public defender, I was once preparing a trial with another attorney in my office. Our client was facing felony charges, and […]
New York’s Child Welfare Laws Will Advance Justice
Two bills, awaiting Governor Andrew Cuomo’s signature, would help reduce the punitive impact of the child welfare system on kids and their families, including formerly incarcerated parents.
The Appeal Podcast: The Long, Troubled History of Gravity Knife Prosecution
With Appeal contributor Jon Campbell
New York Lawmaker Announces Sweeping Challenge to Gravity Knife Law
Opponents of the law say it unfairly targets people who need knives for work, and are battling it on multiple fronts.