Commentaries
Rethinking Public Defense: How The Bronx Defenders Built a Civil Defense Practice to Address the Full Scope of Legal System Involvement
Introduction The Bronx continues to face some of New York City’s most profound economic hardship and inequality and has long faced deeply concentrated poverty, reflected in the highest rates of eviction, housing instability, unemployment, and food insecurity of any borough. As a result,…
Beyond Representation: The Voices of Male Advocates in Holistic Defense Social Work
This commentary brings together the voices of several male-identifying advocates within The Bronx Defenders’ holistic social work practice. It offers a reflective look into their pathways,…
Showing up together: honoring and building community in defense social work
Maggie Carrasquillo Director of Training of The Bronx Defenders’ Social Work Practice Being a defense social worker can be a lonely world. That’s what one participant shared…
The “child welfare” system doesn’t protect kids — it punishes poverty
Emma Ketteringham Managing Director of The Bronx Defenders’ Family Defense Practice When I first met Ruth, she was a young mother of two boys. Both…