In this issue:
Bail Reform Left Out of the New York State Budget
Louis Reed Testifies Before the CT Judiciary Committee
Sean Hill and Marie Ndiaye Delivered a CLE Presentation in Syracuse
bail reform left out of the new york state budget
This week, as New York state budget negotiations began to wrap up, Katal made a final push for bail reform to be included in the budget, including being in the Capitol every day this week. On Tuesday we held a lobby day and press conference in Albany. We were joined by advocates including Akeem Browder, faith leaders, and allies from Bronx Defenders, Brooklyn Defender Services, Make the Road New York, and more. You can check out our photos here.
Urgently important issues — from bail reform to early voting to economic justice and more — are being left out of the New York state budget agreement. On Wednesday, Katal joined over 25 groups to come together across issues to demand: the budget should work for the people. You can check out some of the media coverage from that action here.
Yesterday, we were up in Albany with a group of law students from NYU. Katal will continue to fight for reform during the rest of the NY legislative session, which runs through June. For more information or to get involved, reach out to Sean Hill at sean@katalcenter.org or 347.921.0826.
(Katal’s Keith Brown (left) with groups across the state with #StandUpNY. Photo from Common Cause NY)
louis reed testifies before the ct judiciary committee
In Hartford, Katal’s Connecticut Policy Strategist Louis Reed joined the Connecticut Juvenile Justice Alliance and others in testifying before the Judiciary Committee in support of two bills: one that would raise the age for juvenile court from 18 to 21, and one that would grant “youthful offender status” to 18-20 year olds in adult court. Connecticut has a strong record of criminal justice reform, and has in the last few years become a national leader on this issue. However, Connecticut still imprisons Black youth at one of the highest rates in the nation. If passed, these bills will reduce the number of youth in the adult criminal justice system.
For more information, you can get in touch with Louis at lreed@katalcenter.org or 203.493.1086.
sean hill and marie ndiaye delivered a cle presentation in syracuse
Katal’s Sean Hill and Marie Ndiaye delivered presentations on bail, speedy trial and discovery reform at a Continuing Legal Education (CLE) training for criminal defense attorneys in Syracuse, NY earlier this month. Sean previously ran a legal services program for young people in the justice system, and Marie is a former public defender in New York City. They presented both on the content of the policy proposals being discussed by the state legislature, and the political landscape in Albany. Thank you to the Onondaga County Bar Association for inviting Katal to Syracuse!
