‘We know that Republicans will not be helpful in our efforts to build a more just society – but Democratic leaders are also letting us down.’
Two veteran advocates for the arrested, the incarcerated and the recently released say that from bail reform to parole, Rikers to homeless shelters, the criminal justice system continues to damage people at high cost to taxpayers.
In the wake of a state budget that whiffed on criminal justice reform, Gov. Cuomo has continued to chide Mayor de Blasio for sticking to a 10-year timeline for closing Rikers Island that the governor believes is too slow.
‘I got taken by a person pretending to be a bail bondsman. ‘
As the candidates for Brooklyn district attorney prepare to debate, defense lawyers and a bail advocate say that cash bail is still requested too often under acting DA Eric Gonzalez.
As candidates for Brooklyn district attorney debate bail policy, campaign donations from the bail-bond industry have come under scrutiny.
A point of contention among the candidates is how much the DA’s office is currently doing to limit the use of bail in cases involving alleged misdemeanors and nonviolent felonies.
A move by the state courts to review bail decisions comes too late in the process to make a difference, defense attorneys report.
City Limits contacted all 51 members of the City Council, the five borough presidents and the three citywide officials to ask whether they support closing Rikers.
In the wake of the killing of Officer Randolph Holder, Mayor de Blasio called for bail decisions to take public safety into account. But Sen. Michael Gianaris is still hoping the state will eliminate financial bail altogether.
City Limits uses investigative journalism through the prism of New York City to identify urban problems, examine their causes, explore solutions, and equip communities to take action.
Founded in 1976 in the midst of New York’s fiscal crisis, City Limits exists to inform democracy and equip citizens to create a more just city. The organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit funded by foundation support, ad sponsorship and donations from readers.
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