Justice Lab statement on the murder of George Floyd
Two months later: Outcomes of the March 27th order to release people jailed for technical violations during the pandemic
This research brief assesses the impact of a March 27, 2020 announcement from the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS), indicating that it would release up to 1,100 people jailed in county facilities for accusations of technical parole violations in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Read the full brief here.
Letter from over 120 Columbia Scholars re: Reducing New York's Incarcerated Population
On April 21, over 120 Columbia University scholars, researchers, and educators released an open letter to New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, urging his use of executive powers to immediately reduce the number of people incarcerated in New York’s prisons and jails. The letter expresses concern about harm coming to those who are incarcerated and those who are working in our state's prisons, jails and juvenile facilities, and about the potential for the heightened contagion in those facilities to inadvertently spread the virus to the larger community. In urging swift action, the letter also highlights disproportionate risks faced by people of color, who are more likely to work as essential staff in correctional facilities, and also more likely to be incarcerated.
Read the full letter here.
Webinar: COVID-19’s Impact on Incarcerated Youth
What risks does COVID-19 present to young people incarcerated in US jails, prisons and juvenile facilities?
In a livestreamed webinar hosted by Eastern State Penitentiary on April 21st, four national youth justice leaders, including Youth First’s Hernan Carvente Martinez and Liz Ryan; Retha Onitiri from New Jersey Institute for Social Justice; and Vincent Schiraldi, Senior Research Scientist, Columbia School of Social Work, discussed what steps could protect this vulnerable population and how individuals can get involved.
This event was part of Eastern State's ongoing Searchlight Series of events addressing issues in contemporary corrections. The Searchlight Series discussions typically take place the first Tuesday of every month, free and open to the public. No reservations required. During the temporary closure due to COVID-19, The Searchlight Series discussions will take place weekly via Facebook livestream every Tuesday evening.
