Category: Archive

Criminal Justice in the 21st Century: Eliminating Racial and Ethnic Disparities in the Criminal Justice System

Robin Steinberg, Executive Director, and Marika Meis, Legal Director, attended a conference and contributed to a sweeping report coordinated by the Brennan Center and NACDL regarding racial and ethnic disparities in the criminal justice system. According to NACDL, the report summarizes the “candid, sometimes painful panel discussions, and identifies a panoply of remedies that may advance […]

Rise Magazine: To Speak or Not to Speak

Brenda Zubay and Lisa Beneventano, Social Workers in The Bronx Defenders Family Defense Practice, were interviewed in the Fall 2013 issue of Rise Magazine. In the article, they discuss the benefits and dangers of revealing past trauma in court, and explain the importance of parents taking control of their story before the court takes control […]

Bail or Jail: Watch Justine Olderman discuss the need for bail reform

Richard French speaks with the Chief Judge of New York State, Jonathan Lippman and with Justine Olderman of The Bronx Defenders about the current state of the jail and bail system in New York State. Justine Olderman: “We can say, ideally, it is about the presumption of innocence; it’s about the right to trial; it’s […]

Justine Olderman responds to NY Post article on Bronx bail data

In an August 9, 2013 New York Post article headlined “Easiest Walk for Bx ‘High Risk’ Defendants,” the Mayor’s office takes a position that is in contravention of state law, ignores the facts about rates of return, and turns a blind eye to the growing movement for bail reform. After analyzing data showing that judges […]

Huffington Post: 10 Things You Should Know About This Week’s Stop and Frisk Decision

U.S. Disctrict Court Judge Shira Scheindlin handed down two landmark opinions on Monday. In Floyd v. City of New York, a federal class action lawsuit challenging racial profiling by the NYPD, Judge Scheindlin ruled that the NYPD’s stop and frisk program violates the Constitution. A second order laying out remedies covers both Floyd and part […]

The Bronx Defenders Organizing Project will be registering voters today!

Volunteer today with The Bronx Defenders Organizing Project to register voters. The deadline is this Friday to register to be able to vote in the NYC primaries on Sept. 10th. Join us to register as many Bronx residents as possible. If you’re interested and available, please join us! Email Kamaub@bronxdefenders.org or meet us at 3pm at […]

MSNBC: Rethinking the ‘war on drugs’

Monday saw two major legal developments in the so-called “war on drugs.” First, a judge in New York City ruled that the police department’s stop-and-frisk policy violated the Constitution in targeting a disproportionate number of blacks and Hispanics. Then, Attorney General Eric Holder announced the end of mandatory federal prison sentences for low-level, non-violent drug […]

The Takeaway: Will Holder’s New Policy on Drug Sentences Transform Criminal Justice?

For nearly 30 years, being “tough on crime” was been part and parcel of successful political campaigns, and in the mid-1980s, Congress began enacting mandatory minimum sentences for drug offenses. After that the prison population exploded and some experts shook their heads at what they considered to be misguided drug policy. But as Attorney General […]