Brooklyn Boro

Brooklyn Defender Services outlines goals for 2024 legislative session

January 23, 2024 Robert Abruzzese, Courthouse Editor
Members of Brooklyn Defender Services and other NYC public defender offices rally for justice reform. Advocating for the Youth Justice and Opportunities Act and other key legislations, they aim to reshape New York's legal system in 2024, focusing on reducing injustices against marginalized communities.Photo courtesy of Brooklyn Defender Services
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Brooklyn Defender Services, alongside several New York City public defender offices, is actively pushing for a series of legislative reforms in the 2024 session. These reforms target the deeply ingrained injustices within the criminal legal, family regulation, and immigration systems, which disproportionately impact Black, Brown, immigrant and low-income communities in New York.

A focal point of their advocacy is the Youth Justice and Opportunities Act, legislation that aims to lessen the lifelong consequences of harsh sentences and criminal convictions on young people. By recognizing the continuous brain development and specific vulnerabilities of individuals under 26, the act proposes to broaden access to education, employment, and housing opportunities for this demographic.

In conjunction with this, the Family Miranda Rights Act is another critical piece of proposed legislation backed by BDS. It seeks to empower parents from the outset of a Child Protective Services (CPS) investigation. By informing them of their rights, the act aims to avert unnecessary family separations and mitigate the trauma commonly associated with CPS investigations.

The End Predatory Court Fees Act is meant to abolish the court fines that disproportionately burden low-income individuals. It recognizes that such fines often lead to a detrimental cycle of debt, legal complications and even incarceration.

Another initiative is the Treatment Not Jail Act, proposed legislation that advocates for diverting individuals with mental health and substance use concerns away from the criminal justice system and into appropriate treatment programs. It acknowledges the need for a more humane and effective approach to dealing with health-related issues within the legal framework.

Brooklyn Defender Services is also organizing an Advocacy Day in Albany, inviting the public to join in urging lawmakers to pass these vital bills. The collective aim is to shift from a punitive paradigm to one that fosters rehabilitation and community well-being.

This initiative is a collaborative effort of various public defender offices across New York, including The Legal Aid Society, The Bronx Defenders, New York County Defender Services, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem, and Queens Defenders. Together, they call on Albany to address the racially disparate impacts of the criminal legal system and to prioritize funding for public defense and community-based treatment programs.

Lisa Schreibersdorf, executive director of Brooklyn Defender Services, stresses the importance of a holistic approach to justice. This includes ending mandatory minimum sentencing and investing more in community resources rather than in incarceration. The group supports additional legislative efforts, such as the Second Look Act, Jury of Our Peers Act, Challenging Wrongful Convictions Act and the No Slavery in NY Act, which collectively aim to build a fairer and more equitable legal system.

“The criminal legal system inflicts a myriad of harms on New Yorkers from the trauma of arrest and incarceration to lasting barriers to housing, education and employment that punish people throughout their lives,” Schreibersdorf said.

 





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