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:

LAS analysis shows discriminatory enforcement of social distancing by NYPD

NYDN: NYPD social distancing enforcement shows racial divide targeting minorities: study
The Crime Report: Minorities Disproportionately Impacted by COVID-19 Policing: NYC Study
Raw Story: NYPD social distancing enforcement shows racial divide targeting minorities: study
AMNY: Legal Aid data shows COVID-19 enforcement impacting mostly minority groups
WNYC: Large Numbers of Social Distancing Complaints Came From Mostly White Neighborhoods

LAS fights to free pregnant women stuck in state prison 

Huffington Post: Pregnant Women In New York Are Stuck In Prison Despite Governor’s Promise
Refinery29: A pregnant woman was jailed for parking violations during COVID
The Appeal: Isolation, Death and Grief at New York Women’s Prison 
Dissent Magazine: Isolation, Death, and Grief at a New York Women’s Prison

LAS pushes for decarceration as COVID-19 makes jails/prisons unsafe

Patch: After LIC Inmate’s Coronavirus Death, Lack Of Testing Persists
CNN: Inside New York’s Rikers Island jails, ‘the epicenter of the epicenter’ of the pandemic
The Crime Report: Inside Rikers During COVID-19: ‘A Cesspool of Illness’
Correction One: Number of COVID-19 cases among Rikers Island jail staff rises
NYDN: Jail releases are not ‘zealous’

More LAS in the news

NY Daily News: NYPD detective faces growing number of lawsuits over questionable DWI busts
Law360: Judge Says Virus Changes Debate Over ‘Public Charge’ Rule
Hudson Valley Post: New York Lawmakers Want Weed Legalized to Help With COVID-19
Queens Daily Eagle: Housing Court conferences resume despite eviction moratorium
NY Post: NY lawmakers push to legalize pot, sports betting to fill coronavirus budget gaps
NYDN: ‘I’ve tried everything’: NYC residents struggle for food stamps amid historic unemployment