A humane criminal justice system 

Our criminal justice system has its roots in the slave trade which has resulted in it being an inhumane and racist system today. Despite making up 20% of the NY population, black and latino people making up nearly 80% of the people currently in jail. Black, brown, poor and trans people are often harassed by police because of the color of their skin, social status or gender. A large portion of incarcerated people have not even had the opportunity to defend themselves in court, 77% of people in NYC jails have not been sentenced. The conditions in jail have proven to be inhumane, and do not keep people safe; they create more harm and problems. Ultimately, we must change the very foundation of our criminal justice system. We must replace our current punitive system with one that includes mental health services, political education and a restorative approach to accountability.

Police Reform- While the NYPD’s motto is “Protect and Serve”, many people in our community feel scared when encountering the police. This is because they routinely terrorize communities of color and murder black, brown and trans people. We must redirect resources intended for law enforcement and reinvest them in programs that support the working class people in our community. We also must repeal laws that legally allow police to be abusive or coercive. I support repealing the “walking while trans” law (A654/S2253) which would no longer allow police to charge primarily trans people with “engaging in prostitution” and prohibiting police from lying during interrogations (S680). Furthermore, I will continue to sponsor “know your rights” trainings so people are prepared to interact with police. 

Justice For All-  While some people benefit from our laws, many of them only serve to further the oppression of working class, black, brown and poor people. We must decriminalize sex work (A8230/S6419) and allow safe injection sites  (A60/S498). We must wipe the criminal record of anyone convicted of a marijuana related crime and release anyone currently incarcerated for those crimes. The revenue raised from the legalization of marijuana must be reinvested into black and brown communities. These reforms are not radical, but in fact already exist in other states in the nation and countries around the world.

No New Jails- Our prison system does not rehabilitate people. It is inhumane and harmful to all those who enter it and inherently favors rich and white people. I support closing Rikers and instead of building new jails, we should invest in communities and restorative justice, not prisons. We also must ensure that those who do enter jail are treated humanely that's why we must reduce the torturous use of solitary confinement (A2500/S1623), eliminate cash bail (S2101A) which forces poor people to sit in jail awaiting trial,  enact elder parole (S2144), and restore rights to people convicted of felonies (S6821).