NDS Mourns Death of Former Vera Institute President Michael E. Smith
Michael was a giant in the fight for justice in the criminal legal system and an early supporter of NDS and the practice of holistic public defense.
Jun
2021
Apr
2021
Joint Statement in Response to Reports that NYC Family Court Clerk Used Racial Slurs to Refer to 15-Year-Old
Joint Statement in Response to Reports that NYC Family Court Clerk Used Racial Slurs to Refer to 15-Year-Old (NEW [...]
Mar
2021
NY Supreme Court Rules Incarcerated People Must be Offered COVID Vaccine Immediately
Judge sides with public defenders and advocates in suit, says state’s exclusion of incarcerated people from vaccine eligibility is [...]
Mar
2021
Following Bombshell Report on COVID Deaths on Rikers Island, Officials Must Address the Deadly Conditions That Persist in Jails and Prisons
Today, THE CITY reported on an unreleased Board of Correction (BOC) investigation into three deaths that occurred in Department of Correction (DOC) custody last year. The men died at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in conditions exacerbated by a series of DOC failures, the report shows
Mar
2021
NDS: Mayor de Blasio’s Police “Reform” Plan Reinforces Police Impunity and Endangers Black and Brown New Yorkers
Mayor de Blasio’s plan for police reform is an insult to public defenders, to organizations working to confront police misconduct, and to Black and brown New Yorkers who have been subject to constant surveillance and frequent police violence.
Feb
2021
Public Defenders, Advocates Ask Court to Force State to Offer Vaccine to Incarcerated People Immediately
If granted, the preliminary injunction would force the state to begin offering vaccinations to incarcerated people immediately, while awaiting a final decision on the petition.
Feb
2021
Public Defenders, Advocates Sue New York, Claim Vaccine Denial Violates Constitutional Rights of Incarcerated People
February 4, 2021 CONTACT Sam McCann, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem (smccann@ndsny.org) Arianna Fishman, New York Civil Liberties Union [...]
Jan
2021
NDS’ Amy Kwak Testifies to New York City Council on Expanding Right to Counsel
Evictions are always an act of violence; during a pandemic they can be deadly. Expand the Right to Counsel
Jan
2021
NDS Harlem Calls on New York to Vaccinate Incarcerated People Now
As the pandemic’s latest wave rages, with New York City’s COVID positivity rate now at more than 9 percent, the state has two solutions before it, which must be pursued in tandem: vaccinate every incarcerated person and reduce the jail and prison population. The consequences of inaction would be catastrophic.
Jan
2021
Public Defenders Nationwide Announce Plan for Immigration Justice; Provide Ten-Point Plan to Biden Administration
The plan urges the Biden administration and new Democratic majority in Congress to act swiftly and decisively for immigration justice to undo the unjust, harmful and destructive tactics of the outgoing administration.