The Bronx Deserves a City That Fights for Its People
Bronx, NY – Following the November 4 New York City elections, Juval O. Scott issued the following statement on behalf of The Bronx Defenders: “As a public defender office representing one of the most heavily policed and under-resourced communities in New York State – and the poorest Congressional district in the country – we have witnessed for almost three decades how City…
A Relic of Oppression Leaves New York, But Its Legacy Continues
Bronx, NY – Today, the Vernon C. Bain Correctional Center (VCBC), known colloquially as “The Boat,” was towed away from Hunts Point to become scrap metal. The Boat was an 800-bed jail barge that was brought to the Bronx in 1992 as a temporary facility to reduce overcrowding in city jails. It wasn’t decommissioned until…
Youth, Parents, Advocates, Elected Officials Gather in Support of Critical Legislation to Serve Young New Yorkers
#Right2RemainSilent Legislation Would Ensure that Young New Yorkers Consult with a Lawyer Prior to a Police Interrogation The Youth Justice and Opportunities Act Would Expand Alternatives to Incarceration, Record Sealing for Young Adults The Youth Justice Innovation Fund Would Bring Unspent Dollars into Communities to Serve Young People, Bolster Neighborhood Safety (NEW YORK, NY) –…
Court Order Buys Time. Real Solutions Must Follow
The Bronx, NY – Damian Fagon, Director of The Bronx Cannabis Hub, issued the following statement in response to a state judge signing a deal in court today whereby the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) agrees to extend its current rules regarding the placement of cannabis dispensaries in proximity to schools until February 2026: “We…
NYC Public Defenders, Community Groups Unveil Ten-Point Plan to Address Growing Crisis of Deaths in NYPD Custody
(NEW YORK, NY) – The Legal Aid Society, Brooklyn Defender Services, The Bronx Defenders, New York County Defender Services, the Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem, elected officials, local community groups, and impacted New Yorkers rallied today on the steps of City Hall to announce a ten-point plan to address the recent deaths in New York City…
Federal Judge Orders ICE to Follow the Law and Enforce New Yorkers’ Right to Release
NYCLU and BxD win motion ordering ICE to comply with prior settlement New York, NY – A federal judge in the Southern District of New York has ordered U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to comply with a prior settlement requiring ICE’s New York agents to give everyone they arrest a fair chance at release…
The Bronx Cannabis Hub Condemns the Office of Cannabis Management’s Stunning Betrayal of Cannabis Equity
Policy Reversal on Dispensary Distancing Threatens to Destroy Livelihoods and Dismantle Equity Goals NEW YORK, NY – The Bronx Cannabis Hub today condemned the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) for its abrupt and destructive reversal of the long-defended standard for measuring distance between cannabis dispensaries and schools. The policy change threatens the viability of nearly 200…
The Bronx Defenders Reaches Tentative Deal with Organization’s ALAA-UAW Local 2325 Union Chapter
Bronx, NY – On Sunday, July 20, The Bronx Defenders and members of ALAA-UAW Local 2325 within the organization reached a tentative contracting deal on wages and benefits. As of Monday, July 21, union members at The Bronx Defenders will return to work. A formal vote by union members is pending. Juval O. Scott, Executive…
The Bronx Defenders’ Statement on Organization’s ALAA-UAW 2325 Union Chapter Decision to Strike
Bronx, NY – Juval O. Scott, Executive Director of The Bronx Defenders, issued the following statement following the organization’s local union chapter’s decision to strike: “As public defenders in the Bronx, we defend nearly 20,000 people every year from incarceration, eviction, family separation, and deportation in one of the most policed, surveilled, and under-resourced counties…
The Bronx Defenders and BLOC Condemn the Rent Guidelines Board’s Vote to Increase Rents
Bronx, NY – The Bronx Defenders and the Bronx Leadership & Organizing Center (BLOC) issued the following statement in response to the Rent Guidelines Board’s vote on Monday to increase rents for rent-stabilized New Yorkers: “For the fourth year in a row, Mayor Adams’ appointees to the Rent Guidelines Board (RGB) voted to raise rents…
New York City Public Defenders Applaud Court Decision Upholding the Ban on Solitary Confinement and Commend City Council’s Swift Action to Defend the Law
(New York, NY) — The Bronx Defenders, Brooklyn Defender Services, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem, and New York County Defender Services— represented by pro bono counsel Selendy Gay PLLC — commend Monday’s New York State Supreme Court’s decision affirming the City Council’s authority to pass and implement Local Law 42 of 2024 (LL42), which bans…
The Bronx Writes Back: Bronx Youth Reclaim Their Stories in New Book on the Cradle to Prison Pipeline
BRONX, NY — On Tuesday night, a standing-room-only crowd at The Bronx Museum of the Arts witnessed something rare: a stage filled with young people leading a conversation about what it means to grow up in the crosshairs of broken systems—and surviving. The event marked the launch of The Bronx Writes Back: The Cradle to…
The Bronx Defenders Applauds New York State Assembly’s Passage of the “Promoting Pre-Trial (PromPT) Stability Act” and the “Right to Remain Silent Act”
Bronx, NY – The Bronx Defenders commends the New York State Assembly for its passage of two crucial pieces of legislation this session: the Promoting Pre-Trial (PromPT) Stability Act and the Right to Remain Silent Act. We are especially grateful to Assemblymember Amanda Septimo for her leadership in sponsoring the PromPT Stability Act (A.6455), a…
On the Eve of Juneteenth, A Small Step Toward Justice, But Lawmakers Largely Failed to Meet the Moment
Bronx, NY – Today, the New York State Legislature officially ended its current legislative session. And while it took an important step toward justice by passing the Anti-Harassment in Reporting Act – a bill that ends anonymous reporting to government agencies, which if signed into law, will protect thousands of families from the threat of family surveillance…
Immigrant Advocates Decry Albany’s Failure to Pass the New York for All Act
Albany, New York — As the state legislative session came to a close, leaders faced an urgent choice: put their words condemning the federal administration’s onslaught against immigrant New Yorkers into action, or let their talk be just that — talk. By failing to pass the New York For All Act, they chose the latter,…
“The Wound is Still Fresh:” New Report Exposes ACS’s Systemic Discrimination Against Black and Latine Families in the Bronx, as Revealed by Dozens of Families Themselves
The Bronx, NY – Today, The Bronx Defenders released a report detailing how New York City’s Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) destroys Black and Latine families in the Bronx through its dangerous reliance on racist practices, with the severest life-altering consequences for the very children it claims to protect. Through in-depth stories from dozens of…
Protecting Perinatal Individuals and Babies: Advocates Push for the Maternal Health, Dignity, and Consent Act in New York (A.860/S.845)
Black Birthing People Face A Mortality Rate More Than Four Times Higher Than White Counterparts in NYS Seeking informed consent improves maternal and infant health by establishing trust and transparency between pregnant people and their health care providers, which is essential for high-quality, patient-centered care Albany, NY — On Tuesday, May 13, a diverse coalition…
NYC Public Defenders, Public Advocate Williams, and Immigrant & Civil Rights Groups Join Legal Fight to Block ICE’s Return to Rikers, Warn of “Irreparable Harm” from Adams Administration Order
(NEW YORK, NY) – A coalition of New York City public defender offices, immigrant and civil rights organizations, other advocacy groups, and New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams filed a joint amicus brief today in support of the New York City Council’s lawsuit challenging the Adams Administration’s Executive Order 50, which would allow U.S….
Statement from the Alliance to Protect Kalief’s Law on Discovery Rollbacks
Contact: Anthony Chiarito, achiarito@bronxdefenders.org Albany, NY – The Alliance to Protect Kalief’s Law, a statewide coalition of impacted New Yorkers, public defender offices, civil rights organizations, leading advocacy groups, clergy, labor, and many others, issued the following statement on discovery rollbacks included in New York’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget: “Since the 2019 discovery reforms took…
Civil Rights and Legal Organizations File Lawsuit on Behalf of Black and Latino New Yorkers to Challenge NYPD’s Discriminatory Gang Database
(NEW YORK, NY) – Today, the Legal Defense Fund (LDF), The Legal Aid Society, The Bronx Defenders, LatinoJustice PRLDEF, and the law firm Ballard Spahr filed a putative class-action complaint against the City of New York, challenging the New York City Police Department’s (NYPD) racially disparate targeting, surveillance, and criminalization of tens of thousands of…
Governor Hochul and District Attorneys Continue to Mislead About the True Impact of the Governor’s Discovery Rollback Proposal
Bronx, NY – At a press conference today in New York City, Governor Hochul again pushed for changes to New York’s discovery reforms, known as Kalief’s Law. This comes after a series of press conferences the past few days, including public appearances by the Governor in the media, and an ongoing budget negotiation process that…
Five NYC Public Defenders Issue Letters Invoking Constitutional Rights of New Yorkers in NYC DOC Custody to Protect Against Federal Immigration Enforcement Due Process Violations
Attorneys Also Call on Adams Administration to Immediately Rescind this Executive Order to Comply with NYC Sanctuary Laws and Due Process (NEW YORK, NY) – The Legal Aid Society, New York County Defender Services, The Bronx Defenders, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem, and Queens Defenders issued formal notices invoking the constitutional rights of every client…
The Adams Administration is Allowing ICE on Rikers Island for the First Time in Over a Decade. If We Don’t Act, Unfettered Deportations Will Be the Result.
Bronx, NY—On Tuesday, the Adams administration issued an executive order establishing office space for Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Rikers Island, contravening longstanding city law. The order acknowledges that sanctuary law prevents ICE from carrying out the initiatives of federal immigration enforcement on Rikers and suggests that ICE’s activity on the island will be contained…
Request for Proposal: Managed IT Services for Headquarters Relocation EXTEN
Please find a copy of the IT RFP below. The Bronx Defenders encourages applications from all vendors across the information technology community. Please note that proposals under this RFP are due no later than April 25, 2025. Please contact Jairo Santana, the RFP Coordinator, with any questions at (718) 838-7831 or via email at…
The Bronx Defenders Condemns Illegal Move to Suspend HALT Law
(New York) – On Wednesday, the same day that prosecutors unsealed indictments against the correction officers who brutally murdered Robert Brooks, New York State Department of Correction and Community Supervision (“DOCCS”) Commissioner Daniel Martuscello III issued a memo in response to correction officers’ illegal work stoppage, suspending unspecified provisions in the HALT Solitary law for…