Albany Police Shot a Teen in the Back and Paralyzed Him. The D.A. Said It Was Justified.
Activists suspect the investigation was tainted by the close relationship between the police and prosecutors.
Aaron Morrison Mar 22, 2019
‘The Sixth Amendment Doesn’t Shut Down When the Government Does’
Federal defenders say the shutdown is hurting poor people stuck in jail.
Kira Lerner Jan 24, 2019
New York Agency Declines to Help Trans Woman Allegedly Harassed by Law Enforcement
She is suing the Division of Human Rights for saying it’s not authorized to investigate her complaint.
Emma Whitford Jan 22, 2019
Showtime’s ‘Escape at Dannemora’ Left Out Torture and Abuse
The miniseries depicting a New York prison escape fails to show what happened to the men left behind.
Katie Rose Quandt Jan 10, 2019
The ‘Failure to Appear’ Fallacy
Prosecutors denounce bail reform efforts when people miss court dates, but ‘failure to appear’ rates obscure the fact that many who miss court aren’t on the run.
Disabled Prisoners Decry Treatment in New York’s Prison System
Prisoners in the state’s Regional Medical Units allege that they are being denied access to essential programs and services like law libraries.
Keri Blakinger Jan 08, 2019
24 Prisoners Have Died on Erie County Sheriff Timothy Howard’s Watch
Reports detail suicides and care for one woman that was ‘so grossly incompetent and inadequate as to shock the conscience.’
Raina Lipsitz Jan 07, 2019
Is The NYPD’s Special Victims Division Prematurely Closing Sexual Assault Cases?
Advocates say victims are being pressured to sign ‘withdrawal’ forms to quickly close investigations and protect the department from legal liability.
Meg O'Connor Dec 17, 2018
New York Just Changed the Way it Prosecutes Kids, But Some Got Left Behind
Under Raise the Age, ‘there are kids similarly situated who are being treated totally differently.’
Cassi Feldman Dec 04, 2018
Advocates Say Brooklyn D.A.’s Office Is Prosecuting Transgender People In Self-Defense Cases
Decision-making by prosecutors in such cases, says one attorney, ‘compounds, entrenches, and ultimately authorizes the initial act of violence by prosecuting the victim.’
Aviva Stahl Oct 24, 2018
In New York, Most Parolees Can Now Vote—But Many County Websites Say They Can’t
As Thursday's election approaches, confusion reigns.
Emma Whitford Sep 12, 2018
How decriminalizing sex work became a campaign issue in 2018
State Senate candidate Julia Salazar explains how sex workers’ rights is a key part of reforming criminal justice in New York.
Melissa Gira Grant Sep 07, 2018
New York Woman Imprisoned For Defending Herself From Abuser Seeks Mercy
Jacqueline Smalls was sentenced to 15 years in prison for killing a boyfriend whose ‘hands were his weapons.’ She now joins the ranks of criminalized survivors seeking clemency from Governor Cuomo.
Victoria Law Sep 05, 2018
Here Are the Criminal Justice Issues Andrew Cuomo and Cynthia Nixon Should Debate
From policing to parole, this election could be pivotal for reform.
Emma Whitford Aug 28, 2018
In New York, A Harm-Reduction Organization Is Leveraging Participatory Defense To Empower Its Clients
Grassroots group VOCAL-NY is teaching people with substance use disorder how to avoid getting ensnared in the criminal justice system.
Christopher Moraff Aug 09, 2018
The Appeal Podcast Episode 9: The History––and Promise––of the Bail Abolition Movement
With journalist Bryce Covert.
Adam H. Johnson Jul 26, 2018
Why This Mother And Daughter Were Jailed Without Being Charged With A Crime
A teenage girl spent weeks in jail, and her mother is still locked up on a $150,000 bond.
Jessica Pishko Jul 13, 2018
Cuomo the Merciless
New York's Democratic governor has granted only a trickle of commutations, fewer than many of his Democratic and Republican predecessors.
Victoria Law Jun 20, 2018
A Melee Broke Out On The Subway—and then the Bronx DA Prosecuted One Of Its Victims
Walliris Velez thought the worst was behind her after she was slashed in a subway car, but then came an arrest and an attempted murder charge by the Bronx DA.
Exclusive: Leaked Police Interview Reveals Key Evidence That a Bronx Judge Has Barred in Upcoming Murder Trial
Brian Solano spent over two years on Rikers Island before a potentially exonerating NYPD video interview was disclosed to his defense attorney. But that video is now being excluded from his June trial.
NYC Transgender Activist Says She Was Criminalized For Defending Herself Against Abuser
Her former partner assaulted her in her home. When the police arrived, she was arrested and he walked free.
Emma Whitford Feb 26, 2018
Cryptocurrency is the Next Frontier in the Quest to Abolish Cash Bail
A new app seeks to liberate people from more than “liberal malaise.”
Rebecca McCray Nov 15, 2017
Dispatch: The Torrid Love Affair Between Liberals and Bill “Broken Windows” Bratton
Dispatches is our series from organizers, attorneys, officials, and others working at the frontlines of local criminal justice reform.
Josmar Trujillo Nov 08, 2017
Cuomo Talks Justice Reform, But Clings to Archaic Knife Law
A law that results in disproportionate arrests and prosecutions of black and Latino New Yorkers will stand.
Rebecca McCray Oct 26, 2017
New York District Attorney Indicted For Covering Up Police Violence
U.S. Attorney says the evidence against him is “overwhelming”
#ByeCy: Organizers call for embattled Manhattan D.A.’s resignation
A movement to oust Cyrus Vance gains steam.
Oct 19, 2017
Cy Vance’s Double Standard
Melissa Gira Grant Oct 12, 2017
Don’t Just Vote for a Legacy.
Vote in a Brooklyn District Attorney that Represents Your Values for the Future of Criminal Justice.
Scott Hechinger Sep 07, 2017