Legal Action Center

Felony disenfranchisement laws serve to prevent full participation in our shared democracy and belittle our representative form of government. While New York restored the voting rights of individuals on parole last year, there’s still more to be done, including combating misinformation about voting rights and restoring the voting rights of those currently incarcerated. Learn more in https://bit.ly/2022blueprint

ICYMI: On our blog this week, we posted several Q+As with leaders from member organizations of the New York ATI/Reentry Coalition, including David Condliffe at Center for Community Alternatives, Loyal Miles at The Center for Alternative Sentencing and Employment Services (CASES), Christopher Watler at Center for Employment Opportunities - CEO, Tania Peterson Chandler at EAC Network, and Rob DeLeon at The Fortune Society. Be sure to check them out through the link below and learn more about the important work these organizations are doing to combat mass incarceration, improve the lives of New Yorkers entangled in the criminal legal system and strengthen our shared communities citywide.

Passage of Clean Slate would provide a crucial pathway for so many New Yorkers throughout the five boroughs and the state at large to access the opportunities they need to support themselves, their families, and our shared communities. By automatically sealing eligible conviction records, individuals will be able to get the jobs and homes they need to find security and stability without the stigma attached to these records. Not only does this help expand our workforce and ...boost our economy, but it will reduce recidivism rates and enhance public safety. And it will help revitalize the Black and brown communities throughout New York that have been overpoliced and over-prosecuted for decades, explains Legal Action Center’s Director of New York Reentry Initiatives Kate Wagner-Goldstein. Passage of the Clean Slate Act is included as a top recommendation in the new Blueprint from the NY ATI/Reentry Coalition, which you can read in full here: bit.ly/2022blueprint See more

Achieving meaningful sentencing and decarceration reform is paramount to creating a more equitable criminal legal system, enhancing public safety, and promoting racial justice. New Blueprint from the NY ATI/Reentry Coalition offers specific recommendations for NY’s next generation of political leaders on how to do just this. bit.ly/2022blueprint

#CleanSlateCantWait!!! New Yorkers need #CleanSlateNY NOW!

With 57% of landlords refusing to show an apartment to a prospective tenant with a conviction record, it is no surprise that formerly incarcerated individuals are ten times more likely to end up experiencing homelessness compared to the general public. NY must do more to expand housing opportunities for this population! Learn more in NY ATI/Reentry Coalition’s new Blueprint on Transforming Criminal Legal System Outcomes in NYC here: https://bit.ly/2022blueprint

New job opportunity at LAC! Please help spread the word! LAC seeks a Development Associate to support all of LAC's fundraising and marketing initiatives (including during our annual fundraising events), direct mail and major gifts campaigns, product promotions, and online fundraising campaigns. This position is based in NYC and reports to the Director of Corporate & Individual Giving. Learn more and apply today: https://www.lac.org/abo/join-our-team/development-associate

Rikers Island, known nationwide for its inhumane and dangerous conditions, must be closed. This is the top recommendation included in the new Blueprint on transforming criminal legal system outcomes in NYC, which provides concrete steps to lower the jail population and increase community-based supports for individuals diverted or released from incarceration. Read it now here: https://bit.ly/2022blueprint

LGBTGNCNBQI+ individuals leaving incarceration and returning home in NYC need the supports offered by ATI and reentry service programs that understand and can address their specific needs. New report aims to help providers identify and address areas of deficiency, as well as success, within their organizations, as they strive to offer comprehensive, culturally competent, and accessible services to LGBTGNCNBQI+ participants. https://bit.ly/nycatilgbtqi

Data clearly shows that the funds required to operate community-based ATI and reentry programs pale in comparison with the expense of incarceration and the long-term costs that individuals, their families, and society at large incur due to conviction and imprisonment. New Blueprint on transforming criminal legal system outcomes in NYC gives details and provides recommendations - read it here: bit.ly/2022blueprint

The New York Alternatives to Incarceration (ATI)/Reentry Coalition has long-advocated for investments in community-based solutions to significantly reduce the over-reliance on punitive measures and help heal and support the Black and brown individuals and communities that have been disproportionately harmed by mass incarceration throughout New York State. The new 2022 Blueprint on Transforming Criminal Legal System Outcomes in NYC, which includes specific recommendations for NY’s next generation of political leaders is now available here: https://bit.ly/2022blueprint

LAC believes that New York City can be the leader in decarceration efforts in the United States. The NY ATI/Reentry Coalition has created a 2022 Blueprint for the next generation of New York City lawmakers to enact meaningful legislation and support smart policies that improve our criminal legal system, end mass incarceration, and provide hope and opportunity for millions of people throughout our shared communities. Read it here: bit.ly/2022blueprint

Thank you Gov. Hochul for your support of the Clean Slate Act! Now is the time for us to end perpetual punishment. For all of us - our loved ones and our shared communities - we will get Clean Slate passed this year. Join the fight at www.cleanslateny.org today!

Doing last minute holiday shopping? Why not give a gift that makes a real difference? Visit http://bit.ly/3pfuoGx to send one of our specialized e-cards and make a contribution in your loved one's honor!

It is hard to fathom that it was only two years ago that I was repeatedly being told I was ‘beyond help’ and out of care options. It wasn’t just LAC's advocacy that helped me gain access to the mental health services I so desperately needed that made a difference in my life. The lasting impact came from arming me with knowledge, including me in conversations, and ultimately, giving me a voice. I hope that anyone and everyone who is impacted by systemic injustice can gain acc...ess to advocates who see them, not for the social problems they encounter, but the dignified human beings they already are! I will forever be grateful to the donors who supported and continue to support LAC’s work. They ultimately gave me a chance when no one else would. -Courtney Bergan Please take a moment right now and click the link below to hear Courtney's full story in her own words and support our mission to empower individuals to overcome discrimination, lead their lives with dignity, and participate in our shared communities.

"Criminal justice advocates have been calling for months for both New York City and the state to release vulnerable people susceptible to COVID-19 from jails and prisons, given the high rate of infections that have emerged in those confined spaces. But once people like Ferguson are released, they may face a gap in care if they don’t receive sufficient discharge planning or outside aid. And that can lead to life-threatening situations for inmates with health conditions, especially during the pandemic."

Haven't figured out a gift to give someone yet for the holidays? Give a special someone a holiday e-card with the Legal Action Center! When you make your gift to LAC in honor of a loved one, they'll be sent a holiday card via e-mail with a special design of your choice. This holiday season, show someone you care and uplift others at the same time by sending them one of our holiday e-cards.... Every e-card sent will have a real impact on the lives of people with criminal records, substance use disorders, and HIV or AIDS. Your donation will help to support our important legal and policy work to to fight discrimination, build health equity, and restore opportunity.

Those are things that we should be looking at, Bailey said. How can we get individuals who are returning home, back to society, post-incarceration, a legitimate chance not just a ‘Here’s a MetroCard and $5’ type of chance legitimate ways of contributing not only to their own families but to society at large? - NY Sen. Jamaal Bailey on the important criminal justice reforms necessary in New York, including legislation allowing for automatic records expungement, sponsored by NY Sen. Zellnor Myrie, and supported by LAC, Community Service Society of New York, and other partners through our #CleanSlateNY campaign! https://citylimits.org//whats-next-for-criminal-justice-r/