The disruption to the social fabric caused by COVID-19, exacerbated by a failed government response that left over 1 million people dead and a social service safety net in even worse shape than before, has only intensified the intersecting crises faced by VOCAL-NY members. This social dislocation has also impacted the political environment, turning back […]
2023-2024 New York State Legislative Platform Read More »
The continued harm from criminalization, incarceration, and the legacy of former Governor Cuomo’s austerity have resulted in a historic number of New Yorkers dying from preventable overdoses, record high homelessness, increased rates of hepatitis C and emerging HIV clusters. This session, our state must continue the momentum from last year and reverse these harms by
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CONTACT: Mariah McGough, mariah@vocal-ny.org VOCAL-NY AND SURVIVED & PUNISHED CELEBRATE TRACY MCCARTER AND HER VICTORY NEW YORK — In response to news that Manhattan DA Bragg will not pursue charges against Tracy McCarter, a survivor of domestic violence, VOCAL-NY released the following statement, attributable to Keli Young, Civil Rights Campaign Coordinator: “Tracy McCarter is a Black woman who
VOCAL-NY & Survived and Punished Celebrate Tracy McCarter and Her Victory Read More »
Every person remanded to Rikers Island faces the potential of a death sentence. This year has now surpassed 2021 in the number of deaths on Rikers Island – an alarming crisis the mayor and elected officials have refused to take action on. Advocates are demanding that all officials – the Mayor, Governor, judges, prosecutors, state
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While speaking at the rally on Monday, Samah Sisay, another organizer at Survived & Punished NY, said “the criminal legal system has become another abuser to [McCarter].” In a press release shared with Jezebel, Susan Hadley, a civil rights organizer with the criminal justice organization VOCAL-NY, called McCarter “a Black woman who is being prosecuted
CONTACT Nick Encalada-Malinowski: nick@vocal-ny.org Keli Young: keli@vocal-ny.org END NYC’S DEATH PENALTY: ADVOCATES CALL ON MAYOR ADAMS TO ADDRESS THE CRISIS ON RIKERS Find the Full List of Demands for Mayor Adams Here NEW YORK — This week, ahead of a City Council hearing to end the tortuous practice of solitary confinement in NYC jails and
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CONTACT: Mariah McGough, mariah@vocal-ny.org VOCAL-NY CONDEMNS MAYOR ADAMS’ CONTINUED EFFORTS TO SEND MORE NEW YORKERS TO JAIL VOCAL-NY Leaders Joined Allies at a Rally Today to Protest Efforts to Rollback Bail Reform NEW YORK — In response to a press conference today where NYC Mayor Eric Adams shifted blame to judges and prosecutors for New
VOCAL-NY Condemns Mayor Adams’ Continued Efforts to Send More New Yorkers to Jail Read More »
CONTACT: Mariah McGough, mariah@vocal-ny.org REMINDER FOR ERIC ADAMS: MOST BAIL-ELIGIBLE CASES END IN DISMISSAL, MISDEMEANOR, OR NON-CRIMINAL CHARGES NEW YORK — In response to NYC Mayor Eric Adams continued efforts to roll back bail reforms so that more people will be held in jail, VOCAL-NY released the following statement: “People, the Mayor included, seem to forget that the most
CONTACT: Mariah McGough, mariah@vocal-ny.org MORE POLITICAL GAMES: VOCAL-NY DENOUNCES GOV. HOCHUL’S CALL FOR INCREASED FUNDING FOR POLICE NEW YORK — In response to Governor Kathy Hochul’s statements pledging additional funding for law enforcement at an annual conference of the New York State Association of Chiefs of Police after the death of a Rochester police officer, VOCAL-NY released the following statement:
CONTACT: Mariah McGough, mariah@vocal-ny.org VOCAL-NY RESPONDS TO THE EXONERATION OF 3 NEW YORKERS AFTER 25 YEARS IMPRISONED ON COERCED CONFESSIONS NEW YORK — In response to the exoneration of Vincent Ellerbe, James Irons and Thomas Malik – the latter two who were just released from prison this past week – VOCAL-NY released the following statement,
