Amid Fears of Crime and Mental Illness, States Move to Expand Forced Treatment Advocates of assisted outpatient treatment say it could reduce homelessness and mass shootings. Critics call it incarceration by another name. Caleb Brennan Aug 04, 2022
Bail Reform Helps Countless People. Why Don’t We Hear More of Their Stories? Personal narratives can help the public understand the benefits of bail reform, but telling these success stories presents its own share of challenges. Bryce Covert Jul 19, 2022
How The Prison Food System Denies People Healthy Choices I wanted to have a better diet in prison. But when you’ve been stripped of your freedom, it can be impossible to make the “right” decisions. Michael Capers Jul 05, 2022
Justice Department Launches Investigation Into NYPD’s Troubled Special Victims Division The probe will assess whether the SVD engages in a “pattern or practice of gender-biased policing," according to the DOJ. Meg O'Connor Jun 30, 2022
New York Jail’s Prolonged COVID Visitation Ban Drives Big Profits on Detainee Calls More than two years into the pandemic, the Broome County Sheriff’s Office is still prohibiting all jail visits. The policy helped them take in more than a half-million dollars in 2021. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 14, 2022
New York’s Prison Package Ban Places New Burdens on the Incarcerated Advocates say the policy, aimed at eliminating contraband, will harm prisoners and their loved ones by making it much harder to send fresh food and other essentials into prisons. Molly Hagan Jun 02, 2022
How Los Angeles Created the Playbook for a Nationwide War on the Unhoused As politicians look to build public support for homeless encampment sweeps, they’re using tactics popularized in LA—the site of one of the nation’s most intense battles over the unhoused. Jonny Coleman May 26, 2022
It’s Time to Take a Clearer Look at Bail Reform In the raucous debate over bail reform, simple facts have fallen out of sight. Bryce Covert May 09, 2022
How I Helped Fight Vaccine Misinformation While in Prison One incarcerated author used skills from an HIV/AIDS group to push imprisoned people and prison guards to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Patrick Stephens Apr 26, 2022
After Years Locked up for Stealing Cold Medicine, Reginald Randolph Is Released But if he loses his appeal and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul declines to grant him clemency, he will likely be sent back to prison. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jan 25, 2022
Why New York Jail Populations Are Returning to Pre-Pandemic Levels After the state rolled back a progressive bail law, data from the Vera Institute of Justice suggests judges are ordering more people be held in jails, amid continued worry over COVID-19. Bryce Covert Jan 20, 2022
State Senators Ask Gov. Hochul to Commute Sentence of Man Who Spent Over 800 Days in Rikers Reginald Randolph is currently serving a two to four year sentence in state prison for stealing cold medicine Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Dec 04, 2021
How a Troubled Police Department Is Shaping Buffalo’s Mayoral Race Citing years of police brutality and racial disparities in arrests, activists are pushing candidates to embrace reforms ahead of next week’s Democratic primaries. Raina Lipsitz Jun 15, 2021
Children Can Be On Their Own When Grilled By Police. The Push for Protection is Growing Several states, including Maryland, are considering bills to protect minors from abusive police interrogations. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Mar 25, 2021
Why Crime Victims Joined the Fight for Parole Justice in New York Survivors’ needs and opinions vary—and many have not found justice when they turn to the criminal legal system. Victoria Law Mar 22, 2021
Misdemeanor Convictions Cause Real Harm. New York Needs a New Approach Getting convicted of a “minor offense” inflicts serious, long-term harm. The state can and must divert more people to counseling, group meetings, or other interventions. Jackie Fielding, Chloe Sarnoff Mar 12, 2021
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. Bryce Covert Feb 09, 2021
New York City Mayoral Candidates Blast de Blasio’s Housing Record In a forum with people experiencing homelessness, Democratic candidates criticized the mayor’s affordable housing plans, embraced a ‘right to housing,’ and rejected police intervention on homelessness calls. Chris Gelardi Feb 05, 2021
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. Joshua Vaughn Jan 26, 2021
Newly Elected Los Angeles DA Will End Cash Bail in Nation’s Largest Prosecutor Office On his first day in office, George Gascón said prosecutors will not seek bail starting Jan. 1, a win for criminal justice reformers. Eliyahu Kamisher Dec 07, 2020
Families Urge Cuomo to Release Loved Ones from Prison During COVID-19 Pandemic In addition to the releases he has already ordered, the New York governor can grant commutations to free more incarcerated people to protect them from the disease. He has issued only three since the pandemic began. Alana Sivin, Joshua Vaughn Nov 25, 2020
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. Rebecca McCray Nov 24, 2020
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo Is Fresh Off His Book Tour, But Activists Say He Doesn’t Live Up to His National Reputation Progressive lawmakers and activists say Cuomo has failed to adequately protect those who are out of work, at risk of losing their homes, or living behind bars, where the virus has spread rapidly. Tara Francis Chan, Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Nov 19, 2020
Mondaire Jones Is Bringing the Fight Against Systemic Racism to Congress Jones has vowed to support expansion of the Supreme Court, back the Green New Deal, and push for criminal justice reform. Lauren Gill Nov 04, 2020
Jamaal Bowman Is Headed To Congress, Pledges To Make Democrats ‘The Party Of Dismantling Mass Incarceration’ Bowman has also advocated for an eviction moratorium and for rental payments to be cancelled for the duration of the pandemic. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Nov 03, 2020
3 Transformational Candidates That the Working Families Party Is Excited About The party's national director tells The Appeal about candidates in New York, Washington, D.C., and New Mexico that the WFP would like to see oust the establishment. Joshua Vaughn Oct 28, 2020
Tenant Organizers Are Running To Keep New Yorkers In Their Homes After defeating long-time incumbents in Democratic primaries, progressive candidates are championing cancelling rent and banning evictions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Oct 15, 2020
From Criminal Justice Reform To Protecting The Democracy, Mondaire Jones Wants To Bring ‘Big Structural Changes’ To Congress Jones, who is running in New York’s 17th District, says fighting systemic racism and hyperpartisanship are top priorities. Lauren Gill Oct 14, 2020
Prison Labor Is on the Frontlines of the COVID-19 Pandemic States like California, New York, and Arizona have relied on prisoners to continue working, with little pay and in precarious conditions, during the coronavirus pandemic. Eliyahu Kamisher Oct 05, 2020
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. Steven Yoder Sep 09, 2020
New York Lawmakers Fear Court May Render Domestic Violence Survivor Law ‘Meaningless’ Nikki Addimando, convicted of second-degree murder for the death of her boyfriend, whom she said abused her, petitioned to have her sentence reduced under the 2019 law. But a judge ruled against her. If that ruling is affirmed, state legislators say, it will be ‘insurmountably difficult’ for survivors to ever benefit from the law. Victoria Law Sep 03, 2020
His Brother Called For Help After He Was Acting Strangely. Police Knelt On Him Until He Was Brain Dead. Body camera video shows that Daniel Prude was complying with police when they knelt on his back and pushed his face to the ground for so long that he stopped breathing. Meg O'Connor Sep 02, 2020
NYPD Expands Use Of Controversial Subpoenas To Criminal Cases Administrative subpoenas—which do not require a judge’s approval—are typically used for the department’s internal investigations, but The Appeal has learned that they are being used in criminal cases. Ali Winston Aug 25, 2020
What ‘Defund The Police’ Means In A New York Neighborhood With High Homicide Rates and a History of Struggling for Justice Although there’s a diversity of views about law enforcement in Brownsville, Brooklyn, there’s widespread agreement that the community is still fighting to obtain all the resources it needs to thrive and police itself. Abigail Savitch-Lew Aug 19, 2020
New York City Public Defenders Oppose Resuming In-Person Court Appearances The advocates describe the reopening as unsafe and unnecessary amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Chris Gelardi Jul 23, 2020
There Must Be Mass Releases From NYC Jails Immediately – It’s The Only Way To Protect Public Health New data obtained through a Freedom of Information Law request paint a dire picture of New York City COVID-19 testing in its jails. Brad Maurer, Seth J. Prins and Sandhya Kajeepeta Jul 09, 2020
The NYPD ‘Cancelled’ Police Court Appearances, Leaving People to Sit in Jail Memos obtained by The Appeal and anecdotes from public defenders reveal how, for a week during protests over police brutality, the NYPD stalled cases by directing officers not to testify in court. Chris Gelardi Jun 12, 2020
New York Protests Could Finally Push Through Increased Police Transparency Lawmakers are targeting a statute that has been used as a cudgel to bat away almost any inquiries into police misconduct. Chris Gelardi Jun 04, 2020
New York Legislators Pledge to Reject Campaign Donations From Law Enforcement State Assembly members, senators, and city council members have said they will decline and donate funds from police and corrections officers as New Yorkers fill the streets to protest recent violence by law enforcement. Bryce Covert Jun 02, 2020
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. Lyra Walsh Fuchs May 18, 2020
Advocates Push New York Governor for More Releases From Jails and Prisons The governor’s requirements for release are too narrow in light of the threat from COVID-19, they say. Bryce Covert May 13, 2020
A Man With Coronavirus Symptoms At Rikers Island Describes His Ordeal ‘I would go to the hospital very often and they wouldn’t do anything for me.’ Kim Kelly Apr 23, 2020
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. Bryce Covert Apr 21, 2020
Avoid Austerity To Prevent A State And Local Coronavirus Depression Local budget cuts enacted a decade ago left states and cities dangerously unprepared for COVID-19. We shouldn’t make those same mistakes again. Nathan Tankus Apr 17, 2020
‘The Situation Here Is Dire’: How An Upstate New York Prison Failed to Contain a COVID-19 Outbreak FCI Ray Brook was slow to respond to the spread of coronavirus among correctional officers. Now the outbreak has reached prisoners. Harry August, Alex Garnick Apr 16, 2020
Lessons from Hurricane Katrina For The COVID-19 Recovery To Come Powerful interests exploited Katrina to enrich themselves and transform the city. As a reporter who covered the fallout explains, our government’s lax oversight means the same could happen now, leaving those who most need help behind. Gary Rivlin Apr 07, 2020
People Held in New York Prison Say They Face Abuse After Guard In Their Unit Tested Positive For COVID-19 Men in Unit B-2 at the Shawangunk Correctional Facility say staff members have harassed and abused them since they possibly came into contact with an infected officer. Jonathan Ben-Menachem Apr 03, 2020
What Sheriffs Can Do To Slow the Coronavirus Outbreak Sheriffs wield enormous power, and they can direct it in ways that will help contain the spread of COVID-19 and protect incarcerated people. Jessica Pishko Mar 18, 2020
To Stop the Spread of Coronavirus, California Officials and Attorneys Call for Eviction Bans Experts say evictions cause a ‘downward spiral’ of health problems for renters, and that housing security is necessary to slow the spread of the pandemic. Darwin BondGraham Mar 13, 2020
Pressure Builds on New York Governor To Address Coronavirus Impact on Prisoners Andrew Cuomo, who recently announced the state would employ prisoners to make hand sanitizer, must prepare for the particular vulnerabilities of the state’s prison population to COVID-19, advocates say. Bryce Covert Mar 11, 2020
A Heroin Case With ‘Breaking Bad’ References Ensnares a Small-Time Dealer Dennis Sica struggled with substance use disorder and sold small amounts of heroin that prosecutors connected to overdose deaths. Because of an 1980s-era federal law, he was sentenced to 35 years in prison. Jon Campbell Mar 05, 2020
Protesters Rally in Albany to Oppose Bail Reform Rollback Advocates, formerly incarcerated people, and lawmakers warned against overhauling the New York law before it has a chance to prove itself. Bryce Covert Feb 26, 2020
A New York Law Could Reduce Sentences for Domestic Violence Survivors. Why Are Judges Reluctant to Apply It? The Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act allows judges to consider shorter sentences, as well as non-prison sentences, if abuse factored significantly in the crime. Victoria Law Feb 24, 2020
Bail Reform Was Just The Beginning Of What Democrats Were Elected To Do Vaidya Gullapalli Feb 14, 2020
Prosecutors Blame Discovery Reform Law For Overtime, Tax Hikes, And a Murder Sarah Lustbader Feb 11, 2020
New Video Of Fatal Shooting By NYPD In 2016 Raises Questions About Officer’s Account to Investigators A civil suit claims that an officer who shot a 46-year-old stagehand in Midtown Manhattan should have de-escalated the encounter. Jon Campbell Feb 07, 2020
Clemency Gave Him A Second Chance. He Won’t Forget His Friends Who Haven’t Been As Lucky A year after Alfonzo Riley returned from prison, he’s helping to vet innocence claims. Kira Lerner Feb 06, 2020
As Bail Reform Takes Hold Across New York State, a Rural County Wrestles With The Future Of Its Aging Jail The debate around bail reform focused predominantly on New York City's Rikers Island, but the bigger impact may be upstate, where almost two-thirds of the state’s jail capacity is located. Ted Alcorn Feb 04, 2020
How New York’s Bail Reforms Are Playing Out in a Queens Court Despite dire-sounding headlines, the state’s cash bail reforms are having a positive impact on the people they are meant to help. Bryce Covert Feb 03, 2020
In Erie County, Jail Deaths Continue Despite High-Profile Tragedy The death of 27-year-old India Cummings in 2016 garnered national media attention and a renewed push by local activists over conditions of confinement in the New York county’s jails. But the deaths haven’t stopped. Raina Lipsitz Jan 16, 2020
Why Keeping People With Sex Offense Convictions Off Social Media Sites Does Little To Make Those Sites Safer New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s proposal purports to take sexual violence seriously, but it aggressively ignores reality in favor of lazy solutions. Guy Hamilton-Smith Jan 13, 2020
Queens County D.A. Reiterates Commitment to Ending Cash Bail After Critics Say She Reneged Melinda Katz, who was inaugurated Monday, is facing criticism over what some say is a broken campaign promise. Aaron Morrison Jan 07, 2020
‘They Can Do This To Anybody’ Misconduct complaints against officers in the NYPD’s 34th Precinct have risen for three years straight. In 2018, 15 officers had complaints against them substantiated, the most of any precinct in New York City. Ali Winston Dec 19, 2019
Legislation on New York City’s Sprawling Systems of Surveillance Finally Gets A Hearing A City Council Committee considers a bill on NYPD surveillance today. Ali Winston Dec 18, 2019
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. Nora McCarthy Nov 13, 2019
In Leaked Audio, Prosecutor Admits Locking People Up Is Not About Public Safety Sarah Lustbader Oct 31, 2019
New York State Judges Are Jailing People Who Can’t Afford Their Fines State law must change to stop judges from using jail time to force the poor into paying penalties they can’t afford, says one advocacy group. Steven Yoder Oct 28, 2019
Nearly 600,000 New Yorkers Are Eligible to Have Their Records Sealed. Fewer Than 1,800 of Them Have Succeeded. The results of record-sealing legislation enacted in 2017 shows the need for automatic expungement, advocates say. Aaron Morrison Oct 08, 2019
Nation’s Largest Bail Fund Plans To Stop Bailing People Out Of Jail The Brooklyn Community Bail Fund said it doesn’t want to ‘prop up an unjust system.’ Kira Lerner Sep 30, 2019
The Appeal Podcast: The War on Drugs Continues In Family Court With Miriam Mack and Elizabeth Tuttle Newman of The Bronx Defenders Adam H. Johnson Sep 26, 2019
Convicted Of A Deadly Crime As A Teen, He Worked For Decades To Get A Second Chance At Life Richard Rivera served more than 38 years in prison after killing an off-duty NYPD officer during a botched armed robbery. He was released in July after being denied parole five times. Aaron Morrison Sep 16, 2019
The Appeal Podcast: The Rise of Registries With Appeal contributor Guy Hamilton-Smith and Elizabeth Letourneau of the Moore Center for the Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Adam H. Johnson Sep 12, 2019
Parents Threatened With Losing Children Over Cannabis Use Even in states where use is decriminalized, child welfare systems continue to treat it as a sign of neglectful parenting, particularly among families of color. Miriam Mack, Elizabeth Tuttle Newman Sep 09, 2019
New York Law Removes ‘Unnecessary’ Step for Children Charged With Felonies 16-year-olds won’t have to reappear in adult criminal court if they’re arrested when youth court isn’t in session. Lauren Gill Sep 03, 2019
‘Is This The Guy?’ Police and prosecutors claimed facial recognition technology wasn’t at the center of a shoplifting case, but defense attorneys say it was the sole basis for probable cause to arrest. Mike Hayes
Mayors Running for President Take Heat on Police Brutality and Racial Profiling During Debates Current and former mayors were questioned about how they managed their police departments. Aaron Morrison Aug 01, 2019
Drug Treatment Is Reaching More Prisons and Jails Recent legal victories have spurred counties and states to provide medication-assisted treatment to prisoners struggling with substance use. JB Nicholas Jul 31, 2019
In Queens D.A. Race, Criminal Justice Reform Is The Real Winner Establishment candidate Melinda Katz declared a narrow victory in the New York City borough’s district attorney primary, but progressive Tiffany Cabán pushed the race to the left on issues like marijuana and sex work. Aaron Morrison Jul 30, 2019
‘We’ve Got One In The Sweep’ Three Bronx friends recount their 2012 arrests in the NYPD’s ‘Operation Crew Cut,’ along with their experiences with the court system and incarceration, and reflect on their lives seven years later. Olivia Heffernan
Media Frame: Stop Quoting Bill Bratton For far too long, the press has leaned on wrong-headed tough-on-crime officials like the former NYPD commissioner when reporting on the criminal legal system. Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jul 22, 2019
Spotlight: Daniel Pantaleo Won’t Face Federal Charges. Will He Be Fired? Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 17, 2019
Spotlight: Incarcerated Women Helped Draft New York Law to Free Domestic Violence Survivors Sarah Lustbader Jun 06, 2019
Spotlight: Supporting Solitary for Manafort Means Supporting It for Everyone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 05, 2019
Indefinite Solitary Confinement in New York Is Finally Put to the Test Court challenges and a sweeping reform bill are offering hope to men trapped in isolation for decades. Joshua Manson Jun 03, 2019
New York Prisons Offer ‘Tough Love’ Boot Camp Programs. But Prisoners Say They’re ‘Torture’ And ‘Hell.’ Prisoners can shave time off their sentences by participating in shock incarceration programs. More than a dozen former shock prisoners say that comes at a steep cost. Keri Blakinger May 21, 2019
Incarceration Is Always a Policy Failure Instead of building ‘humane jails’ to replace Rikers Island, let’s push the NYPD to cut down on arrests. Jonathan Ben-Menachem May 15, 2019
Bronx Cops Celebrated A Copwatcher’s Arrest. They Had No Idea They Were Caught On Tape. New York City just paid Jose LaSalle of the Copwatch Patrol Unit nearly $900,000 over claims of false arrest related to the 2016 incident, but his fight for justice is far from over. Ashoka Jegroo May 09, 2019
‘They Sent Him to His Cell to Die’ Rashad McNulty entered a guilty plea in a series of federal gang indictments in New York that have been criticized as racist and overly punitive. But before McNulty was even sentenced, he died in jail. Now, his family is seeking justice. Aaron Morrison May 01, 2019
‘It Was Almost Worse Than The Incident Itself’ New NYPD data show that in 2018 the department closed nearly 500 rape cases due to an alleged lack of participation from victims and had a declining clearance rate for rape, raising questions over its handling of sexual assault. Meg O'Connor Apr 23, 2019
New York Lawmakers Want To Ban Sex Offenders From The Subway. That Won’t Solve Anything. Banishing people from the subway will only marginalize them without addressing the problem. Guy Hamilton-Smith Apr 01, 2019
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. Puck Lo, Ethan Corey Jan 09, 2019
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. George Joseph, Simon Davis-Cohen Jun 07, 2018
As Reform Stalls in New York, Defendants Plead Out Because They Can’t Afford Cash Bail Max Rivlin-Nadler Apr 06, 2018
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. Simon Davis-Cohen, George Joseph Apr 04, 2018
Despite Leaders’ Progressive Promises, NYC Remains ’Marijuana Arrest Capital of the World’ Shaun King Mar 20, 2018
NY Gov. Cuomo’s Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Plan to Protect Your Kids Guy Hamilton-Smith Mar 19, 2018
Movement to Reform New York’s Discovery Statute Faces A Familiar Foe: Prosecutors Jake Offenhartz Mar 06, 2018
Court Watch NYC Is Here To Hold New York City’s ‘Reformer’ District Attorneys Accountable Max Rivlin-Nadler Feb 27, 2018
Activists Fed Up with New York Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Silence on Safe Injection Sites Zachary A. Siegel
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
How ‘El Chapo’s’ Attorney is Fighting For His Client’s Right to a Fair Trial Lauren Gill Feb 20, 2018
NYPD Agrees To New Rules Limiting Its Seizures of New Yorkers’ Property Max Rivlin-Nadler Feb 16, 2018
Police Accountability and Public Defender Groups Demand Transparency on NYPD Gang Policing Max Rivlin-Nadler Feb 12, 2018
Activists Fight Back After NYPD Turns Prosecutor To Avoid Civil Suits Max Rivlin-Nadler, Ashoka Jegroo Feb 06, 2018
As New York Decarcerates, The Number of People Under Supervision of Parole Rises Victoria Law Feb 01, 2018
NYC Agency Uses Brooklyn Gang Raid To Encourage Evictions Of Entire Families From Public Housing Emma Whitford Jan 31, 2018
After New York Sues Opioid Manufacturers, Drug Policy Experts Warn That Legal Action Won’t Save Lives Zachary A. Siegel Jan 29, 2018
Federal Court Hears Constitutional Challenge to a New York Statute that Incarcerates Working Class People of Color Jon Campbell Jan 23, 2018
Family, Former Attorney of Queens Woman Who Fell to Her Death in Vice Sting Say She Was Sexually Assaulted, Pressured to Become an Informant Melissa Gira Grant, Emma Whitford Dec 15, 2017
After Deadly Vice Sting, Advocates Say End to Prostitution Arrests Is Long Overdue Emma Whitford, Melissa Gira Grant Nov 30, 2017
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
Commentary: Cy Vance was Re-Elected. Here are Some Ways You Can Hold him Accountable. Josie Duffy Rice Nov 14, 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” Carimah Townes
#ByeCy: Organizers call for embattled Manhattan D.A.’s resignation A movement to oust Cyrus Vance gains steam. Oct 19, 2017
This $2.75 gateway to jail targets New York’s poorest black neighborhoods Rebecca McCray Oct 17, 2017
How the Manhattan DA’s Use of Big Data Targeting Risks Changing the Rules of Prosecution Andrew Guthrie Ferguson Oct 10, 2017
Voters opt against candidate with history of misconduct in Ontario County D.A. race Rebecca McCray Sep 18, 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
Local government leader proposes solution for Brooklyn’s “wrongful convictions crisis” Larry Hannan Aug 04, 2017
Why is the Bronx District Attorney holding Pedro Hernandez at Rikers Island? Nick Encalada-Malinowski Jul 24, 2017
Manhattan D.A. pledges to curtail prosecutions of subway fare jumpers, but it’s complicated Larry Hannan Jul 17, 2017
