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’ 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 [...]
“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 [...]
“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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
“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.
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 [...]