At The Legal Aid Society our Civil, Criminal Defense, Juvenile Rights, and Pro Bono practices work tirelessly in and out of the courtroom to defend our clients and dismantle the hidden, systemic barriers that can prevent them from thriving in New York City. We seek to be a beacon of hope for those who feel neglected —regardless of who they are, where they come from, or how they identify. Our experienced teams provide comprehensive services, support, and advocacy that protect rights, keep families and communities together, and in many cases, saves lives. We have an intrinsic connection to the daily lives of New Yorkers. Here are a few of the places we made a difference, provided context or added valuable perspective this week:

Intake on Rikers under scrutiny following revelation staff altered data

NYS Focus: Rikers Staff Tampered With Records, Hiding Intake Rule Violations, Documents Show
AMNY: Documents appear to suggest that DOC staff may have tampered with intake data
Patch: Rikers Island Staff Tampers With Data, Lengthens Intake Stays: Report
NYP: DOC allegedly cooked books to hide detainee violations at Rikers Island
Queens Daily Eagle: DOC falsified records to show compliance with court order, attorneys say
Queens Daily Eagle: DOC a no-show at monthly oversight hearing

LAS closely monitoring City’s plan to provide shelter to migrants 

NYT: What to Know About the Migrant Crisis in New York City
Crain’s: City opens first migrant tent shelters on Randall’s Island
Curbed: The Randall’s Island Migrant Shelter is Looking a lot Less Temporary
Al Jazeera: New York City opens tent shelter for bussed-in asylum seekers
City Limits: First Look at NYC’s 1,000-Cot Barracks for Asylum Seekers
Associated Press: NYC opens emergency center for influx of bused migrants
FOX5: NYC’s Randall’s Island tent camp opens, but lacks migrants
Amsterdam News: Councilmember  challenges unequal distribution of shelters 
Bloomberg: Overwhelmed by 20,000 Migrants, NYC Opens First Tent Shelters
SI Advance: Here’s an inside look at the migrant tent city on Randall’s Island
NYDN: NYC opens door to housing migrants indefinitely in Randalls Island tent camp
Gothamist: Randall’s Island camp for asylum seekers set to open Wednesday
CNN: Buses brought the border to NYC. Soon emergency tents will house hundreds of migrants
NYT Editorial: Migrants Are Seeing the Depths of New York’s Housing Crisis

More LAS in the news

The Imprint: New York Officials, Advocates Debate Youth Justice Reform Amid Crime Fears
1010WINS: NYC comptroller calls for federal takeover of Rikers as death count rises
NYDN: Advocates oppose DOC commissioner’s request to keep inmates on lockdown
The Riverdale Press: Tenants tell landlord they’ve had enough
Hell Gate NYC: Where Are the Free Housing Attorneys NYC Promised to Tenants Facing Eviction?
Gotham Gazette: Bail Reform Remains at Center of New York Political Debate