Albany, NY – Rosemary Rivera, Co-Executive Director of Citizen Action of New York, released the following statement in response to calls by prosecutors and sheriffs to delay justice for New Yorkers by placing a moratorium on new bail, discovery, and speedy trial laws, which are set to take effect on January 1, 2020:
“This year, New York State took a critical step forward by ending money bail and the jailing of innocent people on many charges and, just as it happens in nearly every other state in the nation, requiring that prosecutors disclose evidence early in a case. The new pretrial laws will address the state’s rampant jailing crisis, bring more fairness and transparency to the system, and advance community safety and wellness. For decades, mass criminalization and mass incarceration have been justified in the name of ‘public safety,’ despite the fact that extensive research and real-life examples show us that less incarceration is what actually creates greater public safety. Despite publicly claiming to support ‘reform,’ law enforcement has been doing everything in their power to subvert the will of lawmakers and a majority of New Yorkers statewide since the day these laws passed. We support funding community based services, but the idea that the new pretrial laws can only move forward with a huge infusion of funding is a false premise. Prosecutors and police are tasked with upholding the law – not undermining it by spreading misinformation to the public, and through fear-mongering in the press.”
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