Critics have called @GovKathyHochul’s move to deploy more police and the military to NYC’s subway system heavy-handed and potentially unconstitutional. Here’s why: theappeal.org/nyc-subway-nat… Last week, she waved away data showing declines in subway crime & said she cared most about people’s “feelings & emotions” around their safety. According to an @MTA customer service survey, about 50% of respondents felt safe in subway stations & 54% said they felt safe on trains.

29 years ago today, the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 (“the 1994 Crime Bill”) was signed into law.

We must address the enduring consequences of this legislation and chart a new path founded on safety and justice, not punishment. The 1994 Crime Bill stripped incarcerated people of education opportunities, perpetuated racist policies, fueled mass incarceration, and disproportionately harmed people of color experiencing poverty. We refuse to remain in its shadow any longer.

Deaths in prisons rose 50% across the country during the first year of the #COVID19 pandemic.

Evidence shows that fatalities stemming from Covid were exacerbated by poor medical care and overcrowded conditions.

Read more via @nytimes @jenvalentino
nytimes.com/2023/02/19/us/… Medical facilities within prisons, which already lacked proper resources and were understaffed before the pandemic, failed to properly shield the incarcerated people from the myriad of health complications stemming from COVID-19.

nytimes.com/2023/02/19/us/…

Some of the top COVID-19 hotspots in the country are jails and prisons. As a humanitarian crisis continues to unfold in correctional facilities, there is little transparency or data on how jails and prisons respond to #COVID outbreaks. This must change: vera.org/newsroom/state… The lack of transparency in how jails and prisons are responding to the #COVID19 crisis risks thousands of lives. Lawmakers must reintroduce the COVID in Corrections Data Transparency Act to ensure public health, community safety, and state and federal accountability.

Many immigrants in the U.S. are deported simply because they can’t afford an attorney. By establishing a federally funded universal representation service for immigrants, Congress & @POTUS can advance a system rooted in equity, fairness, and human dignity. vera.org/blog/immigrant… Immigrants don’t have a right to a lawyer if they can’t afford one. In fact, out of more than 1.25 million people with pending cases in the immigration court system, close to half lack legal representation & must face an increasingly complex system alone. vera.org/publications/a…

A1.1: In the US, bail, the release from custody of a person accused of a crime, has become synonymous w/ money bail or cash bail. Once you base decisions on whom to incarcerate on the ability to pay cash bail, you ensure that jails are filled w/ poor ppl. #TheBailTrap

https://twitter.com/bravenewfilms/status/1124358248205733889

A1.2: #Cashbail drives #massincarceration: pretrial incarceration rates have grown almost 500% since 1970, far more than the growth rate for state & federal prisons.#TheBailTrap #JusticeinCrisis vera.org/publications/f…

BREAKING: Yesterday, we learned DOJ is halting our Legal Orientation Program (LOP) as of April 30th. LOP ensures that all immigrants in detention are provided with essential information they need to navigate the complex legal system, serving over 50K per year. #SaveLOP

THREAD: Why is LOP vital? In a nation with a long history of being a refuge for immigrants, we must ensure due process to our newest residents who have a legal claim to make this home. #SaveLOP