Fiona Apple has been court watching. And now she is fighting for the public to have virtual access to courts in Maryland. Injustice happens in empty courtrooms. With greater public access to court comes greater accountability. Watch and take action!
Court watchers across the country are observing court proceedings to hold judges, police, and prosecutors accountable. During the pandemic, many courts set up virtual court access. Court watchers in Maryland are now fighting to make this permanent. washingtonpost.com/local/public-s…

Julie's son had been vaccinated, along with about 70% of Illinois’ incarcerated population – but most staff across Illinois prisons haven't. “My son was not sentenced to die in prison. But now I live in constant fear that he will die of COVID behind bars.” usatoday.com/story/opinion/… "On Aug. 4, Illinois Gov. Pritzker announced a vaccine mandate for state prison employees, a move that all governors should now follow. Without mandates, the largely unvaccinated people who work in prisons are likely to become a primary source of viral spread in the community."

NEEDED: There is an excessive heat warning in NYC this weekend. Most people incarcerated in NYC jails are without air conditioning and many are without appropriate summer clothes. You can donate clothes through this @BklynDefender wish list: amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls… You can also send new WHITE t-shirts, socks, or underwear for men and women who are incarcerated in NYC jails directly to Brooklyn Defender Services c/o Jail Services, 177 Livingston Street, 7th Floor, Brooklyn, NY 11201.

New York needs to repeal "loitering for the purpose of prostitution,” aka the "walking while trans" law. A tight fitting dress shouldn't lead to arrest. NY also needs to expand criminal record relief for survivors of trafficking. Survivors shouldn't have a record for forced acts. New York’s “loitering for the purposes of prostitution” law, aka the “walking while trans” law, has been used to target women, particularly transgender women of color, who gather in public in certain communities. Individuals have been arrested for wearing tight fitting clothing.

“Jay-Z once said, ‘Men lie, women lie, but numbers don’t lie.’ When you look at the startling numbers ... it’s very clear. If you are white & smoke marijuana you still go to Yale. But if you're black or brown & you smoke marijuana you get a summons to go to jail.” - @DRichards13 “We're calling on New York to pass marijuana legalization now. We need marijuana justice. We need equity for communities most impacted by criminalization. ... We need to address all the collateral consequences of having a prohibited market." - @kimorocka7

Solitary & other forms of isolated confinement are inhumane, counterproductive, & unsafe. People in isolated confinement in NYS spend 22-24 hrs. a day locked in a cell the size of an elevator—alone or with 1 other person. Legislators should pass #HALTsolitary to end this torture. People in isolated confinement in New York State may be permitted only 1-2 hours to exercise alone in a cage, they do not receive any meaningful programs or therapy, and often cannot make phone calls.

In February, I’m moving to NYC to work with @BklynDefender and @ScottHech on a cutting-edge public defender and client-led media advocacy project. I’m excited to be expanding my work in the movement to end mass incarceration. I've been moved by the work @BklynDefender has been doing that uses media and strategic campaigns to leverage issues public defenders are seeing on the front lines of the criminal justice system into action and change. The following is some of their work to date.

Yesterday Don’t Shoot Portland organized a Reclaim MLK March that was lead by children in our community. It was great to see so many families out in the street marching for social justice. (photo credit: Instagram @ RipCityView) At the Reclaim MLK March in Portland people chanted: “Dr. King had a dream, reclaim the dream!”

1. Yesterday afternoon I noticed a man who appeared to be homeless sitting on the ground by my office. I walked by him again later that night. I was startled when I noticed his pants were pulled down a bit. I just kept on walking. 2. Then I was at my office early this morning and became concerned when I saw the man in the same spot. He seemed to be just waking up. Again, his pants were pulled down—but not in a sexual way.

1. On February 9, 2017 a Portland police officer shot & killed 17-year-old Quanice Hayes. After Quanice was killed cops found a toy gun. Not a single police officer told the grand jury that they saw a gun before Quanice was shot. Nevertheless, the grand jury didn’t indict. 2. “Finding a fake gun after the fact does not justify the use of force…. What happened to Quanice Hayes and so many other black men who are executed at the hands of officers is an extrajudicial killing…. An extrajudicial murder.” - Mat dos Santos longreads.com/2018/02/05/a-t…