Misdemeanor Justice Project Advisory Board Member and Richmond Commonwealth’s Attorney Michael Herring announces plan for prosecutors to stop seeking cash bail bonds for defendants awaiting trial.
Richmond Prosecutors to Stop Seeking Cash Bonds for Criminal Defendants
Affiliate
Richmond Times Dispatch
Date
April 23, 2018
In Categories:
News
Fewer Criminal Tickets for Petty Crimes, Like Public Urination
Author
J. David Goodman
Affiliate
New York Times
Date
October 2017
In Categories:
News
In Project Series:
MJP - CJRA
A new law enacted in June gave New York City police officers the discretion to issue a civil summons, rather than a criminal one, for offenses such as public urination and public drinking. It appears that many officers have opted to do neither. Criminal summonses for certain quality-of-life offenses covered by the law have declined: […]
644,000 Old Warrants Scrapped for Crimes Like Public Drinking
Author
James C. McKinley, Jr.
Affiliate
New York Times
Date
August 9, 2017
In Categories:
News
For years, beginning in the 1990s, aggressive enforcement of minor offenses, like riding a bike on a sidewalk or drinking in public, was a fundamental part of policing in New York. But one of the lasting consequences of that enforcement has become a major policy dilemma, as more and more people lived with the threat […]
Exiting John Jay, Travis Weighs In On Enforcement Changes, Bail and Rikers
Author
Richard Steier
Affiliate
The Chief
Date
July 2017
In Categories:
News Article
In Project Series:
MJP - Phase I & II
Jeremy Travis was talking crime and punishment, the drop of enforcement actions by the NYPD of one million compared to five years ago and the “profound change in enforcement strategy” that accounted for it, when he was asked July 11 about a Brooklyn judge’s decision two days earlier to release without bail a man who […]
From Broken Windows to Well-Marked Exits
Author
Greg Berman and Julian Adler
Date
July 2017
In Categories:
News
Last week, Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance announced a new slate of reforms aimed at avoiding criminal prosecution for approximately 20,000 non-violent misdemeanor cases per year. Going forward, individuals arrested for jumping the subway turnstile and minor drug possession in Manhattan will be held accountable through engagement in social services rather than conventional prosecution. Vance’s […]
New York City to make some minor offenses fines, not crimes
Author
Jonathan Allen
Date
June 2017
In Categories:
News
New York City will release new rules for police on Tuesday curbing the practice of bringing criminal charges against people caught drinking alcohol or urinating in public, among other minor offenses, in a shift championed by civil rights advocates. City officials hope the effort will keep tens of thousands of people out of the city’s […]
Independent Commission on New York City Criminal Justice and Incarceration Reform Report
Author
The Lippman Commission
Date
April 2017
In Categories:
News
In her 2016 State of the City address, New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito called for fundamental criminal justice reform. Titling her speech “More Justice,” Mark-Viverito announced the creation of an independent commission to explore “how we can get the population of Rikers [Island] to be so small that the dream of shutting it […]
Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito: 2017 State of the City Address
Author
Melissa Mark-Viverito
Date
February 2017
In Categories:
News
“We must make sure all New Yorkers are on equal footing–and that we are providing a pathway for all New Yorkers to be heard and to succeed. This is who we are.” Brooklyn, New York – New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito delivered her third and final State of the City address, “Who We […]
Mayor de Blasio Signs the Criminal Justice Reform Act
NEW YORK––Mayor Bill de Blasio today signed the Criminal Justice Reform Act (CJRA), eight bills that further the administration’s goals of preserving public safety and building stronger and safer neighborhoods by reducing arrests and incarceration. “For too long, one small wrongdoing came with a huge cost, taking a large toll on New Yorkers’ lives and […]
NYC’s New Criminal Justice Reform Act: What It Means for You
NEW YORK CITY HALL, NY — Police officers in NYC will now be allowed — and encouraged — to issue a simple fine and civil summons to New Yorkers committing one of a handful of common, low-level crimes, thanks to the city’s new Criminal Justice Reform Act. For example, if you’re caught drinking in public, […]