Governor Hochul’s recently proposed changes to the state’s bail laws will greatly impact the long-sought criminal justice reforms that JustLeadershipUSA and other New York-based groups successfully advocated for in 2019. These proposed changes are driven by fear and will roll back the progress we’ve made to make the criminal justice system more equitable.
Governor Hochul’s 10-point public safety plan proposes increased discretion for judges utilizing past criminal histories in determinations. This opposes a core demand of JLUSA and advocates as many Black and Brown New Yorkers have been subject to unfair racial profiling –such as stop and frisk policies– that have led to unfair detainment and past law enforcement encounters. Governor Hochul’s proposal will continue the harmful legacy of criminalizing poverty on the premises of “guilt before proven innocence” for some. The proposed changes will also subject these communities to pretrial detainment, which jeopardizes a person of losing housing and employment and is especially dangerous at a time when the system is still dealing with an immense crisis in their facilities, such as Riker’s Island.
The proposed changes to the state’s bail laws are a misguided attempt at addressing public safety when there is very little evidence to link the increase in crime to the bail reform laws. Instead, these proposed measures will have a harmful effect on low-income and New Yorkers of color, as well as formerly incarcerated and other justice-impacted individuals.
JLUSA commends the New York State Legislature for its commitment to transforming the state’s criminal legal system that serves to protect all New Yorkers, regardless of economic class or prior involvement with the justice system. We will continue to work with our partners in elected office and with community members to ensure that New York’s system contributes to, and serves as an example for a more just US.
In our 10th anniversary year, JustLeadershipUSA’s work of educating, elevating, and empowering justice-impacted leaders continues and is growing even stronger!
This is going to be a very special time to look back on the past decade of JLUSA’s important work, the 1,600+ leaders we have helped get to the next level in their work, and even more importantly, we will look ahead to the next 10 years and beyond!
We can’t do this without you. We need your support to help us continue to do this work now and into the future. By making a donation in honor of JLUSA’s 10th anniversary year, you are saying to the amazing leaders in our network who represent the 70+ million Americans who have been directly impacted by the criminal legal system, “I see you, and I support you!”
Please give a one-time $100 gift or set up a recurring $10 monthly donation to celebrate JLUSA’s 10th anniversary year, and together we will build a fair and just U.S. Thank you!
Mail that includes checks only:
JUSTLEADERSHIPUSA, INC
P.O. Box 23681
New York, NY 10087-3681
All other mail:
P.O. Box 1730, New York, NY 10037
347.454.2195
© 2024 JustLeadershipUSA. All Rights Reserved.
JustLeadershipUSA is a non-partisan organization. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed belong solely to the individual author or speaker, and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the organization.