Criminal Justice
Policy
Parole and sentencing reform left out of omnibus prison reform bill
Criminal justice advocates are chafing at the exclusion of measures they say are necessary to respond to Robert Brooks’ death in a truly meaningful way.
Opinion
Opinion: Restoring the right to serve on juries for people with felony convictions
The Jury of Our Peers Act is a step toward equal justice.
Opinion
Opinion: ‘Excited delirium’ is racist pseudoscience. NY must ban it as a diagnosis.
Hiding behind a fictional medical term enables police to justify ultra-aggressive tactics and then shirk accountability when those tactics wind up killing someone in their custody.
Interviews & Profiles
Fighting for greater oversight of New York prisons following two fatal beatings
An interview with Jennifer Scaife, executive director of the Correctional Association of New York
Policy
Unions back not one, but two sentencing reform measures
After previously supporting the Earned Time Act, several unions are calling on state leaders to also pass the Second Look Act before the end of the legislative session
Rikers Island
Updated
A timeline on the closure of Rikers Island
The jails system will be turned over to federal control.
New York State
Lawmakers press state prisons commissioner at hearing
The commissioner asked legislators for greater power to discipline problem corrections officers.
Policy
Lawmakers succeed in watering down Hochul’s proposed discovery changes
The governor still got legislative leaders to agree to rollbacks to the 2019 reforms, but it wasn’t exactly what she had proposed.
Albany Agenda
DOCCS wanted people convicted of violent crimes to be eligible for early release
A “program bill” circulated last year would have dramatically expanded eligibility for merit time programs that allow incarcerated people to earn time off of their sentences
Albany Agenda
The discovery debate is almost done. What’s next for the budget?
Changes to the state’s involuntary commitment laws, a potential mask ban and a tax hike to fund the MTA are all on the table.
Criminal Justice
DAs say judge confusion is to blame for some discovery dismissals
Staten Island DA Michael McMahon said that judges are dismissing cases even after prosecutors show good faith and due diligence, in violation of case law.
Opinion
Opinion: Direct cash assistance can help drive down our state's prison population
Providing direct support to people returning from incarceration can provide them with greater economic stability and job security, helping to break the cycle of recidivism.
MagazineShow All
Budget
Breaking News
Legislative leaders reach deal with DAs on discovery
The debate over when cases should be dismissed if prosecutors fail to turn over evidence held up the state budget for weeks.
Opinion
Opinion: Discovery reform works. Don’t let prosecutors gut it.
The supposed “crisis” surrounding discovery is a uniquely downstate issue, and it is extremely reckless to alter the law for the entire state simply because certain prosecutors say they are struggling with compliance
Immigration
NYC Council speaker gets ready for potential legal action over ICE on Rikers
The council voted Thursday to empower Speaker Adrienne Adams to sue Mayor Eric Adams and the Trump administration.
Albany Agenda
With little public progress made, Cleare introduces her own discovery bill
As legislative leaders and district attorneys negotiate behind closed doors, state Sen. Cordell Cleare has introduced her own proposed compromise on discovery.
Opinion
Opinion: NYC kicked ICE out of Rikers. The City Council must keep it that way.
The Adams administration is trying to open a back door to Rikers and hand ICE the key.
News & Politics
District attorneys are fourth wheel in state budget throuple
Normally, it’s just three people in a room negotiating the budget. But the state’s district attorneys are heavily involved in the discussions over changes to the discovery law that are currently holding up the budget.
Albany Agenda
Lawmakers propose alternative to Hochul's discovery changes as budget negotiations drag on
Legislators want to codify a court decision that clarified parts of the law while prosecutors are backing the governor’s proposal.
Opinion
Opinion: Dismiss the governor’s discovery proposals
Prosecutors’ concerns about unwarranted case dismissals may be reasonable, but the governor’s proposed changes to the discovery law are not.
