Opinion

Opinion

Opinion: A Black History Month call to reform New York’s mental health courts

The Treatment Court Expansion Act will help dismantle the racist systems that historically criminalized behavioral health diagnoses in Black communities.

Criminal Justice

Policy

Legislature considering funding reforms for Raise the Age, not rollbacks

Tweaks could come to the 2017 law increasing meant to keep teens from getting criminally charged as adults.

Policy

Policy

NYPD’s Tisch seeks changes to protest perimeter bills

New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin said she’s working with the NYPD to amend the bill.

New York State

Policy

Hochul proposes banning local cooperation with ICE

In a shift, Gov. Kathy Hochul has thrown her support behind ending 287(g) agreements, a key component of existing legislation immigrant advocates are pushing for

Rikers Island

Updated Politics

A timeline on the closure of Rikers Island

Nicholas Deml will oversee New York City jails as remediation manager

Opinion

Opinion

Opinion: Albany must update our evidence laws to protect taxpayers

It’s wasteful and antiquated to require live grand jury testimony to authenticate digital business records like Uber receipts.

Opinion

Opinion

Opinion: A new low for the NYPD

The cop who killed Delrawn Small now claims he wasn’t acting as a cop to avoid discipline.

Opinion

Opinion

Opinion: What’s next for Mamdani’s criminal justice agenda?

His decision to retain NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch signaled a degree of capitulation, but there are issues and decisions to come that will reveal Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s commitment to criminal justice reform.

Opinion

Opinion

Opinion: The kids are alright

We need to follow data and best practices to address youth crime.

Opinion

Opinion

Opinion: Fixing NYC’s street vending chaos is a moral obligation – and a simple one

A newly amended City Council bill will create a regulatory system that balances incentives with enforcement and builds dignity for street vendors.

Opinion

Opinion

Opinion: Mamdani’s proposed Department of Community Safety would be a win for New Yorkers

The proposal is well-grounded in existing best practices, and there is wide support for it among the public and City Council.

Opinion

Opinion

Opinion: Words of condemnation aren’t enough. Lawmakers must pass anti-ICE legislation.

If we fail as lawmakers to match our words with action, we're giving ICE the green light to escalate.

Policy

Policy

Activists ask U.N. to investigate solitary confinement in NY prisons

The U.N. considers solitary confinement for more than 15 consecutive days to be a form of torture.

News & Politics

Politics

Department of Correction investigator violated sanctuary city law, DOI report finds

The Department of Investigation said the city Department of Correction “failed to provide” appropriate training to staff about collaborating with ICE.

Policy

Policy

DOCCS committee recommends weakening law against solitary confinement

The state prison agency encouraged the state Legislature to consider tweaks to the law that would make it easier to put people in solitary confinement.

Opinion

Opinion

Opinion: Mayor Adams, it’s time to protect immigrant street vendors

No one should be sent to jail or put at risk of immigration consequences for serving tamales, halal food or fresh fruit to New Yorkers.

Policy

Politics

How much authority will the court-appointed Rikers boss actually have? Applicants want to know

The deadline for the city and the Legal Aid Society to submit recommendations for a Rikers “remediation manager” is Friday.

Criminal Justice

Policy

No, New York doesn’t have ‘cashless bail’

But that won’t necessarily stop the Trump administration from trying to pull the state’s federal funding anyway.

Policy

Policy

Criminal justice reform groups call on Hochul to commute prison sentences

More than 130 advocacy groups – including the WFP, NAACP New York Conference and Release Aging People in Prison – called on the governor to reduce the state's prison population.