In this moment of crisis when our city and justice system are contending with an unprecedented pandemic, centuries-old systemic racism and an increase in gun violence, we simply cannot afford to let this vital program end now.
Rather than resorting to discredited, heavy-handed approaches to the lowest-level infractions, real investments in our communities will lay the foundation for New York success stories yet to come.
Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance, Jr. this week called upon cities across America that are divesting from police in the wake of the killing of George Floyd and numerous other Black men and women to prioritize direct reinvestment in communities of color as a key component of antiracist criminal justice reform.
After weeks of sustained, peaceful mass protest against police brutality and structural racism, America finds itself at a tipping point. The racial trauma our country is experiencing portends taking action in every facet of American life – from employment, to education, and especially to law enforcement.
Six weeks after the Paycheck Protection Program began pumping hundreds of billions of dollars in lifelines to businesses affected by shutdowns, one group of entrepreneurs remains frozen out of resources: those who have previous criminal history.
