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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:
As COVID-19 spreads at city jails, LAS files multiple suits to release incarcerated New Yorkers
Queens Daily Eagle: Manhattan judge orders release of 16 Rikers inmates Independent: New York prison infections surging as mayor moves to release more inmates CBS: Coronavirus Update: Rikers Island Rate Of Infection 7 Times Higher Than Citywide The Appeal: New York City Jails Have an Alarming High Infection Rate CBS 880: New York City Frees 200 Inmates; Advocates Urge Juveniles Be Released Queens Daily Eagle: Jail oversight commissioner urges large-scale Rikers release CNN: Trump administration: Increase home confinement for inmates to slow coronavirus City Limits: The Coronavirus Thread: Jail Population Hits Milestone as Releases Slowly Mount NJ Record: Judge frees 10 ICE detainees with health issues to protect them from coronavirus The Chief: 1,000 Detainees Could Be Released From City Jails in Coming Days Greenpoint Post: City to Release 300 More Inmates from Rikers The Indypedent: Inmates on Rikers Island are Fighting for Soap NYDN: Coronavirus drives Legal Aid to call for release of 116 NYC inmates and state parolees: suit City Limits: The Coronavirus Thread: Suit Filed to Free 116 From Rikers, Citing COVID Threat NY Post: DOC sued for release of 116 at-risk inmates amid coronavirus spread NYLJ: LAS Sues for Release of NYC Inmates, Saying Coronavirus Mitigation ‘Virtually Impossible’ Gothamist: De Blasio Accused Of Dithering On Release Of Vulnerable Detainees Al Jazeera: Coronavirus prison cases raise alarms, calls for inmate release NY Post: Officials approve release of more than 50 Rikers inmates over coronavirus fears NY Post: 2 more NYC correction department staffers test positive for coronavirus NY Post: First federal inmate tests positive for coronavirus The Hill: Advocates warn of coronavirus threat to inmates NBC: 21 Inmates, 17 Employees Test Positive for COVID-19 on Rikers Island: Officials NY Post: NYC jails see outbreak of coronavirus cases with exponential increase expected Gothamist: Confirmed Coronavirus Cases Rise In NYC Jails AMNY: Three New York Congress members tell feds to spring non-violent offenders from jail NYDN: ‘Everyone is afraid’: coronavirus upends, overwhelms NYC jail system Black Enterprise: Coronavirus is Putting the US Prison Population at Risk ABC News: How the coronavirus outbreak is affecting the U.S. criminal justice system NJ: Hudson County jail to begin releasing inmates Tuesday Daily Mail: New Jersey becomes latest state to release inmates to battle coronavirus: Documented NY: As Coronavirus Threat Loomed, Detainee Says NJ Jail Made No Changes Gay City News: Advocates Demand Help for Vulnerable Prisoners, Homeless Folks NY Post: Group files second lawsuit to release coronavirus-endangered inmates NYLJ: Legal Aid Files New Petition for Group Release as Coronavirus Spreads at Rikers Island NY Daily News: Coronavirus drives de Blasio to release 300 more people from NYC jails WSJ: Coronavirus Spreads Among Rikers Inmates, Staff NJ Record: ICE detainees in N.J. ask courts for release as coronavirus spreads NY1: Mayor To Release Some Rikers Inmates as Coronavirus Cases in City Jails Rise City Limits – Opinion: Cuomo Must Act to Save Jailed Parolees from COVID-19 NY Daily News: Coronavirus 7 times more widespread in city jails than in rest of NYC: Legal Aid QNS: City to release 300 nonviolent inmates on Rikers due to COVID-19 pandemic THE CITY: Teens Sue to Exit Detention Centers as Coronavirus Closes In NY Post: New coronavirus cases in NYC jails outpacing rest of the city The Daily Beast: The Coronavirus and Packed Prisons Make a Lethal Combination
COVID-19 forces changes to NYC court system
The Appeal: ‘Immigration Judges Want All Courts Shut Down as Coronavirus Cases Soar Law 360: NY Gov. Pauses Court Deadlines Over COVID-19 NYDN: Social distancing to prevent coronavirus spread isn’t happening in NYC courts Law360: How Coronavirus May Change Criminal Justice The Appeal: New York City Courts Still Dangerous for Spread of Coronavirus
COVID-19 presents challenges for NYC tenants
6SQ: Lawmakers, advocates demand rent freeze for New Yorkers affected by coronavirus NYDN: Make the coronavirus eviction moratorium real Curbed: What NYC renters need to know during the coronavirus pandemic Brownstoner: Here’s What to Do If You Can’t Pay Rent or Mortgage Due to Coronavirus New Yorker: How Do You Shelter in Place When You Don’t Have a Home? Gothamist: State Lawmakers Pushing For Coronavirus Rent Cancellation Say Cuomo Is MIA Gothamist: Landlord Worth $1 Billion Exploits Coronavirus Panic To Jack Up Rent 25 Percent
LAS files to free vulnerable juveniles amid COVID-19 outbreak
NY Post: Legal Aid Society sues ACS to release juveniles amid coronavirus crisis Chronicle of Social Change: Panic, Frantic Calls as New York Foster Youth Ousted from Dorms Patch: Free Juvenile Delinquents Amid Coronavirus Pandemic, Suit Asks
Immigrant detainees stage hunger strike to protest dangerous conditions
VICE: Immigrants Are Now on Hunger Strike in 3 ICE Detention Centers Over Coronavirus Fears NYDN: Immigrant describes shoddy efforts to fight coronavirus at ICE jail
More LAS in the news
AP: Non-essential employees must stay home; gatherings banned City Limits: The Coronavirus Thread: Comptroller Sees Billions in Revenue Loss to City Daily Mail: Cops will start using DRONES fitted with night-vision cameras to patrol neighborhoods Columbia Spectator: Experts say public urgency has led to unfair treatment of youth suspects