CONTACT: Jada Shannon, jada@vocal-ny.org At least 42 people have died under Department of Correction (DOC) custody since 2021, with more than half of these deaths occurring under Mayor Adams’ administration Advocates present list of demands calling for Mayor Adams to make decarceration the focus of city policy to make good on his promise to follow […]
VOCAL-NY calls on New York State and Governor Hochul to prioritize funding for Harm Reduction programs and an End to the War on Drugs NEW YORK – Today, amidst an overdose crisis that claimed a predicted 6,677 lives in New York State in 2022, VOCAL-NY has joined a national coalition of more than 130 organizations comprised of public health
CONTACT: Mariah McGough, mariah@vocal-ny.org Demands Released Ahead of the Thursday’s Federal Monitor Hearing on Rikers Receivership NEW YORK — As a federal judge considers shifting management responsibility of Rikers Island to a receiver, VOCAL-NY released a fact sheet with public education and demands for receivership that moves New York City closer to decarceration. “The mere existence of Rikers is a humanitarian violation,
CONTACT: Mariah McGough, mariah@vocal-ny.org, 203 470 9979; Jada Shannon, jada@vocal-ny.org Advocates Praise Speaker Adams and the Rest of the NYC Council for Overriding the Mayor’s Veto of CityFHEPs Program Reforms NEW YORK — Today, the New York City Council has overridden the Mayor’s veto of crucial legislation that reforms the CityFHEPs rental assistance program. In
Criminal justice advocates lauded the new poll as evidence Hochul should sign the bill. “This polling shows definitively what we’ve been saying for years: passing the Challenging Wrongful Convictions Act is both good policy and good politics,” Nick Encalada-Malinowski, civil rights campaign director at VOCAL-NY, said in a statement. “The legislature has done its part
City & State: Poll: New Yorkers support Wrongful Convictions Act Read More »
“Councilmembers know that their districts will really suffer as a result of another austerity budget, and the fact they feel powerless to vote no, and don’t have a voice to send a message that austerity kills, says a lot,” said Celina Trowell, an organizer for VOCAL-NY, which focuses on the needs of homeless New Yorkers.
HELL GATE: When Will the City Council Stand Up to Eric Adams?: Read More »
“New Yorkers who are experiencing homelessness are not fooled by the mayor’s lackluster endorsement of the 90-day rule reform,” said VOCAL-NY Homelessness Union’s Milton Perez. “Time and time again folks in my community have laid out the problems with CityFHEPS for this mayor and his administration, and they go beyond a 90-day waiting period. The
AMSTERDAM NEWS: Mayor Adams vetoes ‘veto-proof’ housing voucher bill package: Read More »
CONTACT: Mariah McGough, Mariah@vocal-ny.org VOCAL-NY APPLAUDS DISMISSAL OF WRONGFUL CONVICTIONS TIED TO CONVICTED NYPD OFFICERS; CALLS ON ASSEMBLY TO PASS CHALLENGING WRONGFUL CONVICTIONS ACT Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg Dismissed Over 300 Cases Brought by NYPD Officers Convicted of Crimes Related to Their Work NYS Assembly Will Come Back Into Session to Discuss Remaining Legislation Including
Even before officials’ recent moves to chip away at transparency, advocates questioned the accuracy of the data and other information being released by the department. Those concerns have only grown following the special report and the decision to no longer share information about deaths with the public, according to Eileen Maher, a Civil Rights Union
CITY & STATE: RIKERS OFFICIALS CHIP AWAY AT TRANSPARENCY MEASURES: Read More »
I’ve had many times in my life where I’ve struggled. When I gained my freedom after being incarcerated, it wasn’t easy reentering my community. Or when I was a regular substance user and knew I would die if I continued on that path. Even with limited resources, I was able to get the help I
