Center for Law and Justice

Via ELEVATE 518 #BlackHERstory day 11 Daquetta Jones was appointed as the Deputy Commissioner for Administration with New York State Department of Civil Service (DCS) in April 2019. Prior to Jones’ appointment at NYS DCS, she led YWCA of the Greater Capital Region, Inc. in Troy, New York as a first-time Executive Director for over 5 years with a mission dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all. ... She is a firm believer that the more people we have fighting for racial and social justice, human/women rights, peace, dignity and equity, the closer we will reach the day that is JUST and where there is true social and racial justice, women/human rights, peace, dignity and equity for all; the world we've been fighting for will be upon us. Her advice to being successful in your chosen profession is this: Know your purpose, passion, mission and maintain a laser focus on carrying out your purpose, and always practice self-care!

Survey Ends March 1! Please lend your voice ..as valued members of our community, your opinions matter. Do you want to share your opinion on criminal justice policy? Are you a resident of the city of Albany? Click the link below to filll out this survey about the Albany LEAD Program and your response will help to determine benefits, consequences, and areas for growth for the program. The survey will take about 3-7 minutes to complete and was created in partnership with the Ce...nter for Law and Justice. This survey is voluntary, and you may choose to skip any survey questions. It was approved by Siena College’s Institutional Review Board (# 12-44-20) on 01/06/21. If there are any questions about your rights before, during, or after completing this survey, you can email [email protected]. Please share this post to help increase our survey response rates and complete this survey by March 1st, 2021! https://siena.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_a4Ajf80ehHxClRb

Join us today 2/24 at 6pm for a two hour discussion with attorney Jasper Mills, Shawn Young, Co-founder of All of Us, and Exonoree, Lavell Jones. Mr. Jones was wrongfully convicted at the age of 19, of a 1997 Albany murder that he did not commit. He spent 19 years in prison before being exonorated. Join us for what is sure to be a powerful discussion tomorrow night 2/24 @ 6pm. Register below for the zoom link.

Join us Wednesday 2/24 at 6pm for a two hour discussion with attorney Jasper Mills, Shawn Young, Co-founder of All of Us, and Exonoree, Lavell Jones. Mr. Jones was wrongfully convicted at the age of 19, of a 1997 Albany murder that he did not commit. He spent 19 years in prison before being exonorated. Join us for what is sure to be a powerful discussion tomorrow night 2/24 @ 6pm. Register below for the zoom link. Register for the film and/or discussion at the link below.... https://docs.google.com//1FAIpQLSfss13Z8jqEqt9Uol/viewform

Albany Must Ask for an Extension of the Policing Plan Deadline It is distressing that the City’s administration has so utterly failed the Albany community during Black History month. On Abraham Lincoln’s birthday, the City offered an extraordinarily inadequate and non-committal policing reinvention plan for consideration by the Common Council. With only six weeks left before the State’s deadline, the City submitted far too little, far too late. In the words of Reverend Ma...rtin Luther King, Jr.: We are now faced with the fact that tomorrow is today. We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now. In this unfolding conundrum of life and history there is such a thing as being too late. Fraught with spelling errors, improper grammar, inconsistent formatting, and insufficient content, the plan submitted to the Common Council’s Public Safety Committee by the Office of the Mayor is so fundamentally flawed that it simply cannot be fixed by the April 1st deadline. It is exceedingly disheartening that some might be willing to proceed with this unacceptable plan to avoid the loss of State funding. The Albany Common Council should join other bodies across the state in petitioning the Governor to extend the policing plan deadline to November 1, 2021. Albany’s Collaborative members did everything the City asked of them, and are to be commended for the tireless effort and countless hours they volunteered to produce a thorough set of recommendations. Maddeningly, the plan submitted by the Mayor’s Office does little to promote that change, and the City’s inefficient time management now precludes community members from participation in the most important decisions in the process: determining exactly what is to be done, by whom, and when. Read Dr. Green's full commentary at the following link: http://www.cflj.org//Albany-must-ask-for-an-extension-of-t

Watch a preview of a special edition of WMHT's statewide public affairs program New York NOW - The Time for Reckoning. The full program airing - this Monday, October 26 at 9pm - is the culmination of a two year campaign by the Center for Law and Justice to demand those in power do their part to destroy systemic racism in the Capital Region. In the time of a national conversation on systemic racism - and on the eve of the most important presidential election in recent US his...tory, listening to the eloquent demands of Albany residents and the direct responses given by the elected officials is essential. This panel is true democracy in action, the words shared speak volumes not soundbites. We encourage residents in the Capital Region and beyond to tune in on Monday evening to listen to voices united in a conversation that has been building since 1619 towards a time of reckoning. Join us this week for part of the program, and then catch the whole symposium next week on WMHT-TV or stream it online. https://bit.ly/30Hndgt The Time for Reckoning is a special project produced by WMHT Public Media in partnership with the Albany Times Union, the Center for Law and Justice, the New York State Writers Institute, All Of Us, and other partners.

via WMHT Public Media This one-hour New York NOW program is a centerpiece of a major symposium titled The Time for Reckoning: Confronting Systemic Racism, Seeking Justice and Reimagining Society, co-sponsored by the Center for Law and Justice in Albany and the New York State Writers Institute at the University at Albany, SUNY in conjunction with several community partners. The symposium strives to create an ongoing dialogue between community members of color who live in ur...ban communities where tensions with police run high and elected officials whose job is to protect and serve the public. The program includes several panelists from the Capital Region discussing racism, justice, and solutions for the future on the local, statewide, and national levels. These panelists include: Morgan Jones-Marinia, a leadership representative of All Of Us Community Action Group; Jamaica Miles, a community organizer, activist, and co-founder of the All of Us Community Action Group; Shawn Young, leadership development facilitator and co-founder of the All of Us Community Action Group; Paul Collins Hackett, a community helper and do-er; Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan, Albany Police Chief, Eric Hawkins; and Albany Common Council President, Corey Ellis. Watch here, on-air Monday, October 26 at 9pm, via our livestream at wmht.org/live, or online at: https://bit.ly/30Hndgt #TimeforReckoningNY

USDA farmers to families food distribution happening now at the old DMV parking lot on S. Ferry & Green St. Milk, cheeses, chicken legs, fruits & veggies. If you can't make it today there will be a distribution tomorrow Saturday, Oct. 24 at the following locations: Sweet Pilgrim Church, ... 24 Ten Broeck St. (3-5 p.m.) Steamboat Square, 230 Green St. (12-3 p.m.) Creighton Story, 158 Third Ave. (2-5 p.m.) Ezra Prentice, 624 S. Pearl St. (12-3 p.m.) Ida Yarborough Housing, 91 Livingston Ave. (12-3 p.m.) Robert Whalen Homes, 6 Lark St. (12-3 p.m.)

Premieres Monday, October 26, 2020 at 9pm The Time for Reckoning: Confronting Systemic Racism, Seeking Justice and Reimagining Society Symposium A New York NOW Special Edition... Watch on WMHT-TV Stream online or with the PBS App Stream on Facebook or YouTube

Albany community members discuss systemic racism and its impact on the community, how police departments can work to improve relationships with the community, how policing could be reformed, and how to hold officers of the law accountable for their actions. Hear the full discussion with Shawn Young, Jamaica Miles, Paul Collins-Hackett, and Morgan Jones-Marinia. https://bit.ly/30Hndgt #TimeforReckoningNY All Of Us

IMPORTANT!!! This is an opportunity for Albany residents to relate their experiences with the Albany Police Department. This call for input comes from CNA, the researchers who are conducting a racial bias audit of the Albany Police Department. It is an opportunity to provide input for the Albany Police Reform Collaborative, which is working on a plan to "reinvent" policing in Albany. The report provided by CNA will help the Collaborative design a policing plan that reflects the concerns of the people who are policed. Send your comments to [email protected] by Wednesday, October 21, 2020.

Today at 7pm, join Dr. Green, executive director of the Center for Law and Justice, with Robin DiAngelo, author of White Fragility, for in an illuminating discussion on the far-reaching impacts of systemic racism. WATCH with the New York State Writers Institute: https://bit.ly/30PDhwS #TimeforReckoningNY

For those receiving SNAP benefits... If you have been without power for more than 24 hours you may request replacement foodstamps by contacting your local Department of Social Services (DSS). In Albany you can email the application to [email protected] P.S. You only have 10 days from the date of loss to apply. You can get the application (English & Spanish) that must be submitted to DSS by clicking the link below... If you apply and are denied and you think the denial is wrong please contact Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York by calling 518-462-6765 or reach out the the Center directly at 518-427- 8361 for assistance through our partnership with Legal Aid Society of Northeastern NY. https://drive.google.com//10ngQQ80F7rGCltbW6hbShhNj6/view

Is the APD Culture Amenable to Calls for Reform? The Police Reform and Reinvention Collaborative was designed to enable all members of the community to participate in reimagining the role of law enforcement. Your process will not be successful if it simply restates the current functions, strategies and operations of the police department, without deep and probing consideration of the perspectives of those who seek reform.--- Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, New York State Police...Continue reading

There will be a Police Liaison Committee meeting on Thursday, September 3, 2020 from 6pm 8pm to discuss procedures on obtaining: history of use of force, history of complaints, and history of any discipline of officers involved in cases being reviewed. Zoom information below. Topic: CPRB meeting... Time: Sep 3, 2020 06:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada) Join Zoom Meeting https://albanylaw.zoom.us/j/91726330560 Meeting ID: 917 2633 0560 One tap mobile +16468769923 Community Police Review Board Albany Law School 80 New Scotland Avenue Albany, NY 12208 https://www.albanycprb.org

https://www.timeforreckoning.org/ The Time for Reckoning: Confronting Systemic Racism, Seeking Justice and Reimagining Society...Continue reading

About a month ago, this Commentary page reassured Albany that although reinventing policing is an enormous undertaking, the city is up to the task. We actually said, We got this, Albany! Developments over the last few weeks have shaken our confidence. City government appears determined to sap the very passion out of what began as a bold attempt to rid policing of systemic racism through a community-driven, collaborative process. Despite Governor Cuomo’s directive to involv...Continue reading

Brutality against incarcerated people at the hands of corrections officers is rampant. That's why the Center and 100+ organizations are demanding Governor Andrew Cuomo & Mayor Bill de Blasio create publicly available databases of misconduct records of prison and jail staff.