We Won’t Return to a Pretrial System that Preys on Black, Brown and Low-income Communities

by | Jan 9, 2020 | Press Releases, Uncategorized

Albany, NY — In response to State Senate Republicans calling for repeal of New York’s bail reform law, Jim Anderson, Vice President of Citizen Action of New York, released the following statement:

“We know exactly what “dangerous” means to State Senate Republicans and others who want to reverse New York’s landmark bail reform law. To them, dangerous means Black, Brown and poor. State leaders shouldn’t be looking to guidance from the architects of a “justice” system that’s led our country to having the highest incarceration rate in the world, where Black people are incarcerated more than 5 times the rate of whites. 

“The bail reform law recognizes that detaining someone pretrial doesn’t make us safer – access to mental health services, family support, employment and housing are what actually address the root causes of harm and prevent crime. Bail reform must be fully and justly implemented.”