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NDS Mourns the Death of Harlem Politician Bill Perkins, a Stalwart Champion of the People
The Board of Directors and staff of Neighborhood Defender Service mourn the passing of former New York State Senator and New York City Council Member Bill Perkins, a champion for justice and a pillar of the Harlem community. He died on May 16 at age 74. "Bill Perkins was [...]
Parents, Defenders, Advocates, Elected Officials Call on Albany to Stand in Support of Families and Enact Policies Rooted in Equity, Fairness, and Compassion
(Albany, NY) - Parents, young people, advocates, attorneys, and legislators rallied in Albany to demand passage of four critical bills that aim to shrink the pathways through which families are funneled into the family regulation system (also known as the so-called “child welfare system”) and ensure that families currently [...]
NDS Deplores Gov. Hochul’s Continued Efforts to Rollback Bail Reforms
April 28, 2023 Responding to the latest news that Gov. Kathy Hochul continues to try to force bail rollbacks in the FY24 budget in the face of vehement opposition, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem today released this statement: “By continuing to try and force through rollbacks of bail reform [...]
Gov. Hochul’s Closed-Door Budget Talks to Roll Back Discovery and Speedy Trial Laws Are Undemocratic and Unacceptable, NDS Says
(NEW YORK) -- Responding to news that Governor Hochul has been conducting closed-door meetings about potential rollbacks to historic discovery and speedy trial laws ahead of a budget vote next week, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem today called for an end to discussion of any discovery law changes in [...]
NDS Harlem Managing Director Alice Fontier on ‘Inside City Hall’
IN THE NEWS Alice Fontier, NDS Harlem’s Managing Director, appeared on NY1’s Inside City Hall. She spoke about recently confirmed New York Chief Judge, Rowan D. Wilson. Rowan served on NDS Harlem’s Board for 23 years, as the Chair for 21 of them. “He joined the board of NDS [...]
“Hold the Line,” NDS Urges as Legislature Continues to Resist Gov. Hochul’s Regressive Rollbacks on Bail Reform and Discovery
(NEW YORK, NY) – As negotiations over New York’s delayed Fiscal Year 2024 budget continue this week in Albany, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem today urged the legislature to resist any rollbacks on hard-fought bail reform and discovery laws. “The Governor has decided to delay the budget over her [...]
NDS Urges the Legislature to Protect Discovery Law Reforms from Governor Hochul’s Regressive Rollbacks
(NEW YORK, NY) – As a vocal minority of New York’s District Attorneys seek to undermine hard-fought reforms in discovery laws – which simply require prosecutors to disclose all relevant information in a case in a reasonable timeframe – Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem today urged the legislature to [...]
Pair of Testimonies in Front of NYC Committee on General Welfare
Marco Balestri, Legal Advocate Meeting of the Committee on General Welfare - 12/15/22 12-15 Testimony Marco Balestri Jack Boyle, Staff Attorney Meeting of the Committee on General Welfare - 1/18/23 PDF: 1-18 Testimony - Jack Boyle Here's an article about the housing issue in New York [...]
Black History Month ’23 Resources
Over the month of February, we highlighted books, figures, and other resources available to learn about the fight for civil rights and an equal and equitable future. All books are by Black authors. The New Jim Crow, Michelle Alexander Immigration and the Remaking of Black America, Tod G. Hamilton [...]
Joint Statement on Mayor Adams’ Fiscal Year 2024 Budget Testimony Before the New York State Legislature
(NEW YORK, NY) – The Legal Aid Society, Brooklyn Defender Services, The Bronx Defenders, New York County Defender Services, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem and Queens Defenders issued the following joint statement in response to Mayor Eric Adams’ Fiscal Year 2024 budget testimony before the New York State Legislature: [...]
Warm Places for the Cold – New York
Places to Go for Warmth NYC Places to go during the day: Bowery Mission-Tribeca 90 Lafayette St. (Between White St. & Walker St.) 212-226-6214 Bus: M55 Subway: N, Q, R, W, J, Z, 6 to Canal St. Shelters: Bellevue/30th St Men’s Shelter 400 East 30th Street, New York, [...]
RESPONSE TO INACCURATE REPORTING ABOUT BAIL LAWS IN DENIRO BURGLARY CASE
RESPONSE TO INACCURATE REPORTING ABOUT BAIL LAWS IN DENIRO BURGLARY CASE NEW YORK, NY – News outlets’ frenzied rush to blame bail reform for the release of a woman accused of multiple residential burglaries, including the residence of actor Robert DeNiro, are basing their story on inaccurate reporting. [...]
PARENTS, ADVOCATES, AND ELECTED OFFICIALS RALLY TO DEMAND EQUITY AND JUSTICE FOR NEW YORK CITY FAMILIES
PARENTS, ADVOCATES, AND ELECTED OFFICIALS RALLY TO DEMAND EQUITY AND JUSTICE FOR NEW YORK CITY FAMILIES Advocates Call on City and State Elected Officials to Pass Family Miranda bills, Ensuring Parents Know Their Rights When ACS Knocks Parents and Impacted Families also Release Report, Narrowing the Front Door, Outlining [...]
NDS Seeks Staff Members for New Public Defender Office in Hays County
SAN MARCOS, TX (December 7, 2022) -- Neighborhood Defender Service (NDS), which has signed a contract with Hays County to open a public defender office, is currently recruiting staff members, including a Senior Trial Attorney, Staff Attorneys, Investigators, a Social Worker, Client Advocate, and Office Assistant. NDS Hays County will [...]
Joint NYC Defender Statement in Response to Mayor Adams’ Address on New York City’s Mental Health Crisis
(NEW YORK, NY) – The Legal Aid Society, Brooklyn Defender Services, The Bronx Defenders, New York County Defender Services, and the Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem - New York City public defender organizations - issued the following joint statement in response to Mayor Eric Adams’ address on the mental [...]
Neighborhood Defender Service is Appointed as Hays County Public Defender Office
Neighborhood Defender Service is Appointed as Hays County’s Public Defender Office SAN MARCOS, TX (November 22, 2022) -- Today the Hays County Commissioners Court voted to approve a five-year contract with Neighborhood Defender Service (NDS) to provide legal services as the County’s Public Defender Office. “We [...]
Advocates and Impacted Families Renew Call for Family Miranda Rights Legislation After Uncovered ACS Report Reveals It Knew of Its Own Discriminatory Practices
Advocates and Impacted Families Renew Call for Family Miranda Rights Legislation After Uncovered ACS Report Reveals It Knew of Its Own Discriminatory Practices (NEW YORK, NY)— Today, the New York Times reported on a Freedom of Information Law request by The Bronx Defenders, which revealed the New York City [...]
Joint Defender Statement in Response to Mayoral Summit on Criminal Justice
(NEW YORK, NY) – The Bronx Defenders, The Legal Aid Society, and the Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem, organizations who participated in this weekend’s Mayoral Summit on Criminal Justice, released the following statement: “We thank the Mayor for bringing together leaders in criminal justice from across New York City [...]
Neighborhood Defender Service statement on the death of Albert Woodfox
(October 8, 2022) The Board of Directors and staff of Neighborhood Defender Service celebrate the life and legacy of our dear friend Albert Woodfox, an activist, author, and a wrongfully convicted survivor who spent 43 years in solitary confinement – thought to be the longest in U.S. history -- at [...]
New Data Show Dramatic Increase in Arrests and Prosecutions of Black People for Carrying a Concealed Weapon
(DETROIT, MI) - Data from the court system, publicly-available arrest data, and data from Neighborhood Defender Service (NDS) together expose a legal system targeting Black Detroiters for arrest and prosecution, advocates explained at a press conference today. The number of arrests on CCW charges has quadrupled since March 2020, [...]
Public Defenders and Advocates to Hold Press Conference on New Data Showing Increase in Arrests for Black People for Carrying a Concealed Weapon
DETROIT — Advocates, defense attorneys and their clients will share data showing a 300 percent spike in arrests for carrying a concealed weapon (CCW) during the pandemic, and an extreme racial disparity in the prosecution of these cases. Prosecution for CCW-only arrests has surged 205 percent for Black people [...]
NYC Defenders Demand that City Stop Recording Phone Calls Made by Incarcerated New Yorkers
(NEW YORK, NY) - The Legal Aid Society, Brooklyn Defender Services, The Bronx Defenders, New York County Defender Services, Queens Defenders and Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem called on the city to cease recording all phone calls made by New Yorkers incarcerated in local jails. This call comes in [...]
NYC Defenders Statement on Death of William Brown, the 16th Person to Die in DOC Custody This Year
(NEW YORK, NY) – Brooklyn Defender Services, The Bronx Defenders, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem, New York County Defender Services, and Queens Defenders released the following statement following the death of William Brown in Department of Correction custody. Mr. Brown was the 16th incarcerated person to die in New [...]
Neighborhood Defender Service Celebrates 30 Years of Work alongside Cardi B, Honorable Rowan D. Wilson, and Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP
Contact: Sam McCann, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem (SMccann@ndsny.org) ***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** (NEW YORK, NY) – Neighborhood Defender Service celebrated its 30th anniversary last night at the Edison Ballroom in New York. The nationally recognized public defense office, which serves low-income clients in Harlem and Detroit, honored Cardi B, [...]
Legislators Demand End to Transfer of Women and Transgender People Held on Rikers Pre-trial to Prison
Contact: Sam McCann, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem (SMccann@ndsny.org) (NEW YORK, NY) – 17 legislators issued an open letter to Governor Hochul and Mayor de Blasio today demanding an end to involuntarily transfer women, transgender and non-binary people currently incarcerated at Rose M. Singer Center (RMSC) on Rikers Island [...]
NDS’ Zainab Akbar Testifies On the Family Regulation System Before NYS Assembly
Zainab Akbar, Managing Attorney of NDS Harlem's Family Defense Practice, testified before the New York State Assembly on the need to defund the Family Policing System and invest in community-led programs that truly help the most vulnerable families. Read her testimony below *** Thank you for centering impacted people [...]
More than 70 Incarcerated Women and Transgender New Yorkers at Rikers Island Release Petition Protesting Transfers to Upstate Prisons
Contact: Redmond Haskins, The Legal Aid Society (rhaskins@legal-aid.org) Sam McCann, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem (SMccann@ndsny.org) Sarah Duggan, Brooklyn Defender Services (SDuggan@bds.org) Emily Whitfield, The Bronx Defenders (Ewhitfield@bronxdefenders.org) Lupe Todd-Medina, New York County Defender Services (LToddmedina@nycds.org) Hettie Powell, Queens Defenders (hpowell@queensdefenders.org) (NEW YORK, NY) – More than 70 incarcerated [...]
NDS’ Danielle Jackson Testifies Before NY State Senate on Predatory Court Fees
NDS’ Danielle Jackson testified before the New York State Senate on the End Predatory Court Fees Act. She said that court surcahrges are “a regressive tax that plunders money from poor, mostly Black and brown New Yorkers, to pay for the system that over-polices and over-prosecutes them.” Read her [...]
Legislators and Impacted People Demand That District Attorneys End Cash Bail Practices to Curb Rikers Crisis
Contact: Sam McCann, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem (SMccann@ndsny.org) ***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** (NEW YORK, NY) – Legislators, public defenders, and impacted New Yorkers gathered outside the office of Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance’s office on Wednesday to demand that all five New York City District Attorneys end their cash [...]
14 Legislators Issue Letter to District Attorneys Demanding End to Bail Practices in Light of Rikers Crisis
October 5, 2021 Contact: Sam McCann, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem (SMccann@ndsny.org) (NEW YORK, NY) – 14 legislators issued an open letter to the five New York City District Attorneys today demanding that prosecutors end their cash bail practices and stop sending New Yorkers accused of crimes to a [...]
NYC Defenders’ Statement on Yet Another Death in DOC Custody
September 20, 2021 Contact: Sam McCann, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem (SMccann@ndsny.org) Sarah Duggan, Brooklyn Defender Services (SDuggan@bds.org) Emily Whitfield, The Bronx Defenders (Ewhitfield@bronxdefenders.org ) ***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE** (NEW YORK, NY) – Department of Correction issued a press release late last night announcing yet another death in its custody. [...]
Elected Officials Detail Illegal, Deadly Conditions Inside Rikers Island Following Visit
“It is impossible to overstate how dangerous - and ultimately deadly - the conditions facing New Yorkers on Rikers Island are. Quite simply: DOC is holding people in illegal conditions, denying New Yorkers their rights, and as a result people have died
Amid Jail Crisis, City and State Elected Officials to Visit Rikers Island, Demand Immediate Decarceration
***MEDIA ADVISORY*** Contact: Sam McCann, Neighborhood Defender Service, smccann@ndsny.org Redmond Haskins, The Legal Aid Society, RHaskins@legal-aid.org Emily Whitfield, The Bronx Defenders, ewhitfield@bronxdefenders.org Dan Ball, Brooklyn Defender Services, dball@bds.org Lupe Todd-Medina, New York County Defender Services (LToddmedina@nycds.org) FOLLOWING A SPATE OF DEATHS CAUSED BY UNSAFE AND ILLEGAL CONDITIONS, OFFICIALS TO [...]
NYC Defenders Demand Courthouse Safety as the Delta Variant of COVID-19 Surges in New York City
August 16, 2021 Contact: Sam McCann, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem (SMccann@ndsny.org) Press Office, The Legal Aid Society (press@legal-aid.org) Sarah Duggan, Brooklyn Defender Services (SDuggan@bds.org) Emily Whitfield, The Bronx Defenders (Ewhitfield@bronxdefenders.org) Lupe Todd-Medina, New York County Defender Services (LToddmedina@nycds.org) (NEW YORK, NY) – The Legal Aid Society, Brooklyn Defender [...]
NYC Defenders’ Statement on Death of Brandon Rodriguez in DOC Custody
August 13, 2021 Contact: Sam McCann, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem (SMccann@ndsny.org) Sarah Duggan, Brooklyn Defender Services (SDuggan@bds.org) Emily Whitfield, The Bronx Defenders (Ewhitfield@bronxdefenders.org ) Press Office, The Legal Aid Society (press@legal-aid.org) Lupe Todd-Medina, New York County Defender Services (LToddmedina@nycds.org) (NEW YORK, NY) – Gothamist reports that [...]
NDS’ William Botchway Testifies Before New York State Assembly on Emergency Rental Assistance Program
The program, designed to support tenants hurt by the pandemic, faces myriad problems: a confusing application process, unnecessary means testing, bureaucratic delays and more.
To Mark Juneteenth, Neighborhood Defender Service of Detroit Announces Creation of Eviction Defense Practice
The practice will focus on representing people negatively impacted by the economic fallout from the pandemic who are in danger of losing their home, and will play a pivotal role keeping Detroiters housed.
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.
NDS’ Ariana Brill on the Devastating Impact of Covid on Incarcerated Students
The pandemic has had devastating effects on students incarcerated on Rikers Island. NDS Education Attorney Ariana Brill testified before New York City Council about what our clients are experiencing and offers recommendations to the city about how to fulfill its obligation to provide education to these students. *** Access [...]
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 YORK, NY) – The Legal Aid Society’s Juvenile Rights Practice, The Bronx Defenders, Brooklyn Defender Services, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem, New York County Defender Services, Lawyers For Children and [...]
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 unconstitutional March 29, 2021 CONTACT Sam McCann, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem (smccann@ndsny.org) Arianna Fishman, New York Civil Liberties Union (afishman@nyclu.org) Redmond Haskins, The Legal Aid Society (rhaskins@legal-aid.org) Ryan Karerat, [...]
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
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.
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.
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 (afishman@nyclu.org) Redmond Haskins, The Legal Aid Society (rhaskins@legal-aid.org) Ryan Karerat, The Bronx Defenders (rkarerat@bronxdefenders.org) Daniel Ball, Brooklyn Defender Services (Dball@bds.org) (NEW YORK, NY) – Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem, The [...]
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
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.
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.
New York Installs Privacy Safeguards for Contact Tracing
Last night, Governor Cuomo signed a bill into law that will protect the confidentiality of contact tracing information and prohibit access by police and immigration enforcement.
In 2020, NDS Showed the Power of Public Defense
Neighborhood Defender Service’s clients are vulnerable in the best of times; facing a crisis, they need us more than ever. And we need you to make our indispensable work possible. Please lend your support on December 1, a global day of giving, by supporting the NDS #GivingTuesday campaign. All [...]
Neighborhood Defender Service Mourns Loss of New York City Mayor David Dinkins
(NEW YORK, NY) – Neighborhood Defender Service (NDS) Executive Director Rick Jones issued the following statement regarding the enormous contributions of New York City Mayor David Dinkins to Harlem, to New York, and to public defense: “Public defenders, their clients, families and communities across the country owe a debt [...]
NDS 30th Anniversary Gala Honoring Cardi B Postponed Until November 2021
Dear Supporters, Due to the ongoing threat of Covid-19, the Neighborhood Defender Service 30th Anniversary Gala originally scheduled for November 19, 2020 has been postponed until November 17, 2021. The Gala celebrates the work we have accomplished over the past 30 years, with the people who have helped us [...]
NDS’ Helen Montalvan on Racism in the Family Regulation System
New York City Council's Committee on General Welfare hosted a hearing on "Racism in the Child Welfare System." NDS' Helen Montalvan testified on the white supremacist roots of the system, and why the title of "child welfare system" obfuscates the function and history of ACS and other agencies.
NDS Harlem’s Sara Wolkensdorfer Testifies Before City Council on Ending the Discriminatory Use of Background Checks in Public Housing
This week, NDS Harlem's Sara Wolkensdorfer submitted written testimony to the New York City Council on the need to end discriminatory background checks in public housing.
Contact tracing isn’t working; Cuomo can help
New Yorkers need contact tracing, but for it to succeed we need to make sure police and ICE never have access to sensitive information.
Save the Date: Celebrate 30 Years of NDS with Cardi B
For 30 years, NDS has fought for our neighbors’ justice and dignity in the face of systems that would deny it. On November 19, we're celebrating that work and those who fight alongside us.
Community Statement on the Killing of Hakim Littleton
Community Demands Independent Investigation into Police Killing of Hakim Littleton, End to Excessive Force (DETROIT, MI) – ACLU of Michigan, Black Legacy Coalition, Detroit and Michigan Chapter of the National Lawyers Guild, Detroit Council of Elders, Detroit Justice Center, East Michigan Environmental Action Coalition, Hush House Black Community Museum, [...]
NDS Featured in Detroit Free Press
NDS was featured in Detroit Free Press in an article by Angie Jackson covering NDS Detroit's new Community Intake Practice, which launched Juneteenth 2020. "I think it’s so important that we try to do everything we can as public defenders to try to fight against the racial disparities that [...]
On Juneteenth, Neighborhood Defender Service of Detroit Opens Community Intake in Support of Black Community
Effective immediately, NDS will provide representation at no cost to Wayne County residents who believe they are going to be arrested or who have just been arrested.
On Juneteenth, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem Launches Police Misconduct Project
New Yorkers who have experienced police misconduct can now use NDS as a resource in filing an action for police accountability.
As Contact Tracing is Rolled Out Across NY, Advocates Raise the Alarm About the Weaponization of Intimate Health Information By Police and ICE
Contact: Katie Schaffer, Center for Community Alternatives, kschaffer@communityalternatives.org Sam McCann, Neighborhood Defender Service, smccann@ndsny.org At Press Conference, Civil Rights Groups, Health Advocates and Public Defenders Urge Passage of Bill Protecting Confidentiality of Contact Tracing Data NEW YORK—Today, local and national civil rights groups, public health officials and [...]
America on Fire
Dear Partners and Supporters, The murder of George Floyd was unconscionable. So were the murders of Breonna Taylor, of Tony McDade, of Ahmaud Arbery, of Trayvon Martin, of Sandra Bland, of Philando Castile, of Kalief Browder, of Eric Garner and of Malice Green. So were the murders of thousands [...]
Joint NYC Defender Statement On Efforts to Circumvent Law and Detain Protestors
Daniel Ball, Brooklyn Defender Services, dball@bds.org Ryan Karerat, The Bronx Defenders, RKarerat@bronxdefenders.org Redmond Haskins, The Legal Aid Society, RHaskins@legal-aid.org Sam McCann, The Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem, SMccann@ndsny.org Hettie Powell, Queens Defenders, hpowell@queensdefenders.org Lupe Todd-Medina, New York County Defender Services, LToddmedina@nycds.org (NEW YORK, NY) – Brooklyn Defender [...]
Joint Wayne County Defense Community Standing with Protectors of Black Lives
Sam McCann, Neighborhood Defender Service, (703) 867-1972, (SMccann@ndsny.org) Lillian Diallo, Wayne County Criminal Defense Bar Association, (313) 719-8899 Casey Rocheteau, Detroit Justice Center, (313) 499-0826, (crocheteau@detroitjustice.org) Desiree M. Ferguson, National Conference of Black Lawyers, (313) 319-8259, (dferguson@detroitjustice.org) Cait De Mott Grady, National Lawyers Guild Michigan, (607) 216-2043 (caitdg@gmail.com) [...]
Joint NYC Defender Statement On NYPD Brutality
Brooklyn Defender Services, The Bronx Defenders, The Legal Aid Society, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem, Queens Defenders, and New York County Defender Services issued the following statement on New York City Police Department (NYPD) brutality
NDS Harlem Managing Director Alice Fontier Address Joint Session of NY State Legislature on the Disparate Impact of COVID-19
This week, NDS Managing Director addressed a joint session of the New York State Assembly and the New York State Senate about how COVID-19 compounds the injustices our neighbors and clients in upper Manhattan face every single day.
NDS Harlem Managing Director Alice Fontier on How Communities of Color Are Particularly Vulnerable to COVID-19
This March, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem welcomed Managing Director Alice Fontier to helm our office. In her first weeks on the job, she worked across our practices to fight for justice for our clients who were under extreme threat. In doing so, she witnessed firsthand the immense disparity [...]
Victories in the Fight for Justice During COVID-19
All of our communities face this same elevated threat, and NDS has fought for justice in every forum. Our family defense practice has left no stone unturned in its efforts to reunite families during this already stressful time, when they need each other more than ever. Our immigration defense team has sought to stand in the way of a deportation machine that seeks to churn on amid a pandemic. And our civil team has fought to keep our clients and their families safely housed.
Support Heroic Work on #GivingTuesdayNow: A Letter from the Executive Director
On Tuesday, May 5, Neighborhood Defender Service is participating in #GivingTuesdayNow, a global day of giving to meet the unprecedented challenges posed by COVID-19. Our clients are vulnerable in the best of times; facing a crisis, they need us more than ever. And we need you. Give to NDS today and make our indispensable work possible.
Coronavirus policy must account for those in Michigan jails and prisons
By Chantá Parker, Amanda Alexander and Jonathan Sacks Originally published in Detroit Free Press Tens of thousands of people are held in Michigan jails and prisons that leave them particularly vulnerable to public health crises. Every day that passes during the COVID-19 outbreak puts them at heightened risk — [...]
NDS’ Emily Ponder Williams Testifies to City Council on NYC Human Rights Law
Emily Ponder Williams, Managing Attorney of NDS' Civil Defense Practice, testified before the New York City Council's Committee on Civil and Human Rights this week on amendments to the NYC Human Rights Law. The amendments would prohibit discrimination against New Yorkers on the basis of open criminal charges, violations, [...]
NDS’ Chantá Parker Talks the Power of Public Defense with American Black Journal
This week, NDS Detroit Managing Director Chantá Parker spoke with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Stephen Henderson about the arrival of world-class public defense in Wayne County. Henderson hosts American Black Journal, which airs on Detroit’s PBS affiliate. He sat down with Parker and Wayne County Executive Warren Evans to discuss [...]
Support Our Clients With a Gift This Holiday Season
Dear Friends, It is a challenging time for public defense. Our communities from Harlem to Detroit are under threat. Poverty is persecuted at the subway turnstile, at bail hearings, and in family court. Our neighbors are threatened with eviction while public housing is under siege. Protections for immigrants are [...]
NDS’ Chantá Parker Talks Public Defense with Deadline Detroit’s Craig Fahle
NDS Detroit Managing Director Chantá Parker appeared on the Craig Fahle Show on Deadline Detroit to discuss the arrival of world-class public defense to Detroit.
Albert Woodfox, Nicole Austin-Hillery Call for Robust Public Defense and Movement- Building at Conversations with NDS 2019
On Monday, November 18th, Neighborhood Defender Service welcomed the leading minds in the criminal legal community for its annual benefit, Conversations with NDS. This years event, titled Mobilizing Against Mass Incarceration, brought together Albert Woodfox, a member of the Angola Three who spent 43 years in solitary confinement, and [...]
“Human Rights and Civil Rights are Inextricably Linked:” Nicole Austin-Hillery on the Fight Against Mass Incarceration
What does human rights field have to say about the criminal legal system in the United States? Quite a lot, says Nicole Austin-Hillery, the Executive Director of the US Program at Human Rights Watch.
NDS’ Ayami Hatanaka Testifies to City Council on Representation at SCR Hearings
NDS Parent Advocate Ayami Hatanaka testified before the Progessive Caucus of City Council last week on the impact of the State Central Registry (SCR) on Harlem Parents. The caucus has put forward an ACS Accountability Package, and Hatanaka highlighted the necessity for all parents to have representation at SCR [...]
Defender Organizations Demand An End to Solitary Confinement, Urge NYC Board of Correction to Take Action
(New York, NY) -- Neighborhood Defender Service, Brooklyn Defender Services, The Bronx Defenders, and New York County Defender Services call on the New York City Board of Correction (DOC) to take action to end the torture of solitary confinement. The Board will hold a special meeting this Thursday (Oct. [...]
“Morality and Legality Do Not Meet at the Courthouse:” Albert Woodfox on Building a Movement Against Mass Incarceration
By Sam McCann For decades, Albert Woodfox has fought relentlessly against solitary confinement, but that work has taken a different shape since February 2016. That’s when Woodfox was released from prison after spending more than 43 years in isolation for 23 hours a day, mostly in Louisiana’s notorious Angola [...]
Unjust, Coercive Police Interviews Are Traumatizing Children of Color
By Amanda Anger, Social Worker, NDS Originally Published by Truthout My client’s 4-year-old son was locked away from her, held in a back room by police officers in the Manhattan Child Advocacy Center (CAC) in New York City. When I asserted her right as a mother to refuse a [...]
NDS Detroit Hosts Open House for New Staff as Office Prepares for Launch
Neighborhood Defender Service Detroit hosted an Open House for its new staff, marking one month before the new office takes its first case in Wayne County. The event featured remarks from NDS Detroit Managing Director Chantá Parker and discussion among NDS Detroit’s incoming staff. Parker welcomed her team and [...]
“The Power of Public Defense:” Neighborhood Defender Service Debuts New Website, Logo
Today, Neighborhood Defender Service (NDS) launched a new website at www.NeighborhoodDefender.org, that will allow it to better serve clients and advocate for justice beyond the courtroom. The site debuts alongside a new logo that emphasizes “the power of public defense” to secure justice for our clients and communities.
In Wayne County, Michigan, Public Defense Falls Short. But the Arrival of NDS Detroit Promises a Better Future
Excerpt. Full article available on the Sixth Amendment Center's blog. The State of Michigan must fulfill its Fourteenth Amendment responsibility to ensure the effective assistance of counsel to all indigent defendants who face the possible loss of their liberty in criminal and delinquency cases, as guaranteed by the Sixth [...]
Through Groundbreaking Class Action, Hundreds of New Yorkers Have Old Marijuana Convictions Sealed
A Manhattan Supreme Court justice has ordered the sealing of marijuana possession convictions for more than 300 people. Her order was the result of a successful class action petition brought jointly by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, the Legal Action Center, Community Service Society, The Legal Aid Society, New York County Defender Services, Neighborhood Defender Service and pro bono counsel Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP. The case asked the court to seal these criminal records under New York Criminal Procedure Law § 160.59.
Just Three Percent of Cases Go to Trial. A New Paper Unpacks How That Hurts Poor People of Color
By Rick Jones and Cornelius Cornelssen Click to read full article. Despite what courtroom dramas on television and celebrity travails might lead you to believe, the number of individuals who actually exercise their right to take a criminal charge to trial is disturbingly small. Studies show that a mere three [...]
Neighborhood Defender Service Finalizes New Public Defender Office in Detroit
June 13, 2019 DETROIT, MICHIGAN – Today, Neighborhood Defender Service (NDS) signed a contract with Wayne County, Michigan to open a new public defender office in Detroit and represent clients in 25% of adult felony cases. The signing follows a unanimous county commission vote approving the deal. The new [...]
TLC’s Unjust Confiscation of Cars Merits Scrutiny
Last week The New York Times reported on the taxi industry’s deplorable practice of preying on low-income drivers by charging exorbitant rates for a taxi medallion, enabling a network of Ponzi Scheme lenders. But unfair lending practices are not the only way the industry profits from low-income drivers. Through a [...]
NDS Staff Travels to Albany to Fight for Harlem Families
Last week, NDS traveled to Albany to fight for families alongside fellow defenders, activists and the people of our communities. The message to legislators: pass two critical laws meant to preserve family bonds and end the collateral consequences caused by child service investigations. In Harlem and neighborhoods across New York, [...]
NDS Opposes Mayor de Blasio’s Plan to Expand ICE Cooperation, Urges Reversal
NEW YORK – Neighborhood Defender Service (NDS) stands in opposition to Mayor de Blasio’s plan to expand New York City’s cooperation with Immigration Control and Enforcement (ICE). The plan, announced last week, would increase the number of immigrants that the city turns over to ICE, and further undermine the [...]
NDS Testifies to Unjust Role Marijuana Plays in Child Welfare Investigations
As New York considers legalizing marijuana, the City Council is beginning to reckon with the widespread damage done by the unjust, unequal enforcement of criminalization. That damage extends to families: as the Council heard on Wednesday, marijuana plays an outsized role in child neglect cases that can lead to tearing [...]
NY Daily News: NY Courts refuse to fast-track cashless bail and other criminal justice reforms
NDS appeared in the New York Daily News alongside other defender organizations calling for immediate implementation of the criminal legal reforms included in the 2020 New York State Budget ALBANY — The wheels of justice turn slowly. At least that’s what court officials are telling advocates calling on prosecutors [...]
NDS Welcomes Progress on Criminal Legal Reform, But True Justice Demands More
By Rick Jones, Executive Director, Neighborhood Defender Service New York’s new state budget promises to bring a suite of long-overdue changes to our criminal legal system. The agreement announced by Governor Andrew Cuomo on Sunday substantially reforms our bail system and takes steps to protect our clients’ constitutional right [...]
NDS Staff Call on City Council to Strengthen Public Housing Management
NDS testified before the New York City Council to the need for improved management of public housing.
NDS’ Seth Steed Discusses Holistic Defense at the Guggenheim Symposium on Crime in America
Seth Steed, Managing Attorney of NDS’ Criminal Defense Practice, says the structural inequality of the criminal legal system is immediately apparent.
Neighborhood Defender Service to Establish Public Defender Office in Wayne County This Year
NDS set to establish a public defender office in Wayne County in 2019.
NDS and the International Legal Foundation-Nepal
Representatives from International Legal Foundation-Nepal, (ILF-Nepal) including from the Supreme Court of Nepal and Public Defender Society of Nepal (PDS-Nepal), visited the NDS Harlem office today for a discussion on the global challenges and strategies for providing public defense to poor, marginalized and vulnerable persons.
NDS Wins NAPD’s Defender of Justice Award
Neighborhood Defender Service (NDS) has been chosen as the “Best Public Defender Office” in the country.
Rick Jones Addresses Conference on Access to Legal Aid
NDS Executive Director Rick Jones spoke at The Third International Conference on Access to Legal Aid in Criminal Justice Systems in Tbilisi, Georgia on community-based public defender services and the contract model of legal aid delivery. He also addressed the role of plea bargaining on the fairness of criminal [...]
Thanksgiving Meals for Families in the Community
The NDS Management Team and Community Outreach Committee held the Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem's first Annual Holiday in Harlem event
NDS speaking on Voting Rights at the Masjid Malcolm Shabazz Community Center
Criminal prosecution can result in collateral damages. NDS works to reduce legal barriers to employment, voting and housing.
NDS Harlem: The Power of Public Defense By Rick Jones, NACDL Immediate Past President
NDS Executive Director and NACDL Immediate Past President Rick Jones’ column on The Power of Public Defense
Michelle Burrell Testifies at the Commission on Parental Legal Representation
NDS' Michelle Burrell on what public defenders need in order to ensure that families are reunified.
The Power of Public Defense
Originally published in the July 2018 Issue of The Champion By Rick Jones Earlier this year, news of New York’s falling crime rate gained national attention. Gone are the days of the late 1980s and early 1990s with their spiking murder rates and a war on drugs raging. By [...]
Collateral Damage: America’s Failure to Forgive or Forget in the War on Crime – NACDL Report
NDS Executive Director Rick Jones co-chaired the NACDL Task Force on the Restoration of Rights and Status After Conviction, which recently released the report: Collateral Damage: America’s Failure to Forgive or Forget in the War on Crime – A Roadmap to Restore Rights and Status After Arrest and Conviction. Excerpt [...]
Criminal Justice in the 21st Century: Eliminating Racial and Ethnic Disparities in the Criminal Justice System – NACDL Report
Criminal Justice in the 21st Century: Eliminating Racial and Ethnic Disparities in the Criminal Justice System is a critically important and inclusive examination of the profound racial and ethnic disparities in America’s criminal justice system, and concrete ways to overcome them. This conference report prepared by Consultant Tanya [...]