WNYC: In Solitary, Inmates Languish, Despair and Attempt Suicide: Report
The Otis Bantum Correctional Center has the largest solitary confinement unit on Rikers Island. It holds roughly 400 inmates, according to the Board of Correction. The Otis Bantum Correctional Center has the largest solitary confinement unit on Rikers Island. It holds roughly 400 inmates, according to the Board of Correction. (Brigid Bergin/WNYC) A new report…
The Bronx Defenders releases its report “Voices From the Box: Solitary Confinement at Rikers Island”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 12, 2014 Contact: Skylar Albertson, The Bronx Defenders, (347) 842-1215, SkylarA@bronxdefenders.org Voices From the Box: Solitary Confinement at Rikers Island New York – The Bronx Defenders released a report summarizing the experiences of 59 current and former clients who were subjected to extreme isolation in solitary confinement at Rikers Island. The…
The Bronx Defenders Written Comments for the New York City Council Committee on Public Safety
The Bronx Defenders’ Written Comments for the New York City Council Committee on Public Safety Oversight: The Police Department’s Plan to Enhance Officer Trainings September 8, 2014 The Bronx Defenders is a holistic public defender located in the South Bronx. Each year we represent over 30,000 people arrested in Bronx County. Nearly all of our…
Associated Press: NYC immigrant public defender system breaks ground
NEW YORK (AP) — When Curtis Edmund first heard that a government official had come by his Bronx home looking for him, he couldn’t figure out why. But he agreed to a meeting early this year, and when he arrived, he was taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials. Edmund, a longtime U.S….
The Bronx Defenders Welcomes Its 2014 Training Teams and New Hires!
The Bronx Defenders is proud to announce the start of its 2014 Training Teams as well as many new hires throughout the office. For the first time ever, The Bronx Defenders will welcome two training teams to the office. Throughout the next twelve months, our new attorneys will receive intensive training in holistic defense, working…
The Bronx Defenders releases updated Consequences of Criminal Proceedings in New York State
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 11, 2014 Contact: Molly Kovel, The Bronx Defenders, 718-508-3421 or MollyK@bronxdefenders.org THE CONSEQUENCES OF CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS IN NEW YORK STATE, A Comprehensively Updated Guide for Criminal Defense Attorneys, Civil Legal Services Attorneys, and Other Reentry Advocates New York – Today, The Bronx Defenders released an expansive update to our landmark manual detailing…
The Bronx Defenders joined partners at City Hall today to demand police accountability
“There is no excuse for an illegal chokehold by the NYPD. We need policing FOR our communities, not against them.” -Donna Lieberman, Executive Director, New York Civil Liberties Union Earlier today, The Bronx Defenders rallied together with community allies at a press conference hosted by Communities United for Police Reform at City Hall to demand accountability for…
NBC 4 New York: Low-Level Suspects Seriously Hurt
An investigation by NBC 4 New York’s partners at WNYC shows that it’s not uncommon for low-level arrests to spiral dangerously out of control – in some cases leaving people accused of minor offenses seriously hurt. Chris Glorioso reports. The Bronx Defenders Robin Steinberg comments on disproportionate use of force in low-level arrests in New York City. To…
The Bronx Defenders is Issuing a Call for Proposals for Civil Forfeiture Video Project
Request for Proposals Civil Forfeiture Video Project Submission Date: July 2, 2014 Organization Overview The Bronx Defenders is a community-based, multi-service legal organization dedicated to addressing the underlying problems of poverty in the Bronx by providing innovative, holistic, and client-centered criminal defense, family defense, civil legal services, and social services to indigent Bronx residents. Our…
A Celebration of Families!
Last week we hosted our annual Celebration of Families night to honor our clients who have been reunited with their children after arduous battles in Bronx Family Court. The evening provided our clients and their families an opportunity to share their stories, connect with one another, and take a moment to celebrate their perseverance after a difficult and…
The Bronx Defenders Joins Rally to Demand Justice in Housing Court!
The Bronx Defenders joined Council Member Mark Levine and the Coalition for Justice in Housing Court on the steps of City Hall on Thursday, June 11th, to rally for the “Right to Counsel” in Housing Court. A total of 246,864 New Yorkers were served with eviction papers in 2013. Nearly 99% of these tenants were…
Graham + West blog interview with Robin Steinberg on changing the criminal justice system
Robin Steinberg: On Changing the Criminal Justice System Robin Steinberg is founder and executive director of the Bronx Defenders, a public defender organization in the Bronx, New York City. Started in 1997 with a team of 8, The Bronx Defenders pioneered a new model for public defense, dubbed “holistic defense,” and today handles approximately 30,000…
The Bronx Defenders welcomes our 2014 summer interns!
We are very excited to welcome our summer 2014 interns today! Over the course of the next 10 weeks, 52 law school students and 15 college students from over 25 different schools will work together with attorneys and advocates in our Family Defense Practice, Criminal Defense Practice, Civil Action Practice, Immigration Practice, Policy & Community…
The Bronx Defenders Completes its 2014 Defenders’ Academy Spring Training Program!
Today wrapped up the sixth and final day The Bronx Defenders 2014 Defenders’ Academy Spring Training! Over the course of the past week, 78 participants from over 20 different organizations – ranging from public defender offices to private firms to the U.S. military – have participated in an intensive trial skills program designed to strengthen…
Devastating Impact of the Housing Crisis in the Bronx
Accessible and affordable housing is a critical issue confronting many of our clients here at The Bronx Defenders. With nearly 30% of the individuals and families in this borough living under the poverty line, many Bronx residents struggle to meet basic needs and maintain stability in their daily lives. In response, our Civil Action Practice focuses…
NY1 Online: Advocates Weigh In on Police-Community Relationships
Inside City Hall asked a panel of advocates – Kate Rubin, the managing director of civil action practice for the legal organization “The Bronx Defenders”; Rashad Robinson, the executive director of the advocacy group “Color of Change”; Babe Howell, an associate professor at CUNY’s School of Law; and Fahd Ahmed, the legal and policy director…
Karen Maxim and The Bronx Defenders’ New Tax Clinic are Making an Impact
People who most need relief during tax season are routinely victimized by exploitative tax preparers who, lacking regulation, target poor people and charge exorbitant rates, a problem highlighted in a recent New York Times article. Individuals end up with much reduced tax refunds as a result of the tax preparers’ high fees or are penalized…
Noticias Mundo Fox: Indocumentados en proceso de deportación son ayudados por defensores públicos en Nueva York
Un proyecto que se adelanta en la ciudad de Nueva York ayuda a cientos de indocumentados de escasos recursos a que no sean deportados. (more…)
MSN Latino: Avanza programa de defensa de inmigrantes
NUEVA YORK (AP) — Oscar Hernández se disponía a firmar su orden de deportación a México cuando un joven abogado que no conocía se presentó en la corte migratoria de Nueva York y le convenció de que no lo hiciera. Ahora Hernández ya no lleva el uniforme naranja de preso: camina libre, trabaja y estudia…
El Diaro: Proyecto en NY logra frenar deportaciones de inmigrantes
Nueva York — Sentados en fila sucesiva en una modesta banqueta y mirando casi todo el tiempo al suelo, cinco personas esposadas y con indumentaria color naranja aguardaban ayer su turno para acercarse a la mesa de la juez de la Corte de Inmigración de Nueva York, Noelle Brennan. Es una imagen habitual en esa…
New York Times: Conflicting Expectations for Bratton’s Second Tour
In the 1990s, a time of vexing homicide rates in cities across the country, William J. Bratton left the New York Police Department and began marketing the crime-fighting techniques he had deployed so successfully here to other municipalities struggling with rampant disorder. At the time, business and civic leaders in Birmingham, Ala., brought him on…
SNAP Cuts Hurt Bronx Families
As a Public Benefits Advisor at The Bronx Defenders, I have seen the devastating effects of the recent cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). SNAP benefits – formerly called “food stamps” – help low-income Americans feed their families. When Congress allowed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to sunset on November 1st of…
The Bronx Defenders Welcomes Mayor de Blasio’s Announcement to Reform Stop-and-Frisk and Drop the City’s Appeal
The Bronx Defenders welcomes the concrete step taken today by the de Blasio administration to drop New York City’s appeal of the federal district court rulings in the stop-and-frisk cases. Today, the City has filed a motion in the Second Circuit Court of Appeals that seeks a remand to the Southern District to resolve these…
ABA Journal: NYC proposes settlement in stop-and-frisk cases
A motion to resolve two cases that accuse the New York City Police Department of unconstitutional stop-and-frisk practices was filed Thursday in the New York City-based 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the proposed settlement at a Thursday press conference. According to a statement from his office, the city and…
Safer and Stronger: The Bronx Defenders Policy Recommendations for Community Safety in the Bronx
Safer and Stronger: Policy Recommendations for Community Safety in the Bronx Download the PDF here: The Bronx Defenders – Safer and Stronger 2014 The Bronx Defenders provides holistic and client-centered criminal defense, family defense, immigration defense, civil legal services, social work support, and community advocacy to indigent people of the Bronx. Our staff of over 200 represents 35,000…