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Brooklyn Defender Services joined the Family Justice Law Center, the Center for Family Representation, the NYU Family Defense Clinic, Sullivan & Cromwell LLP, and others to file a federal class action lawsuit challenging unconstitutional delays in New York’s process for appealing listings on the State’s child abuse and maltreatment registry. Thousands of parents are forced to wait more than a year to clear their names even though most ultimately succeed, while being blocked from jobs in health care, education, and child care and prevented from caring for relatives. “As public defenders, we see firsthand the harm a parent’s SCR indicated report can have on a family—from a parent losing a long-standing job, to reduced employment opportunities and the inability to be a family support system for loved ones in crisis,” said Lauren Shapiro, Managing Director of the Family Defense Practice. “New York families deserve a fair and timely process when they seek to appeal their inclusion on the SCR.”

Brooklyn Defenders issued a statement in response to the announcement of the appointment of Stanley Richards, who was named Commissioner of the New York City Department of Correction.

Former Law Enforcement, Elected Officials, Youth, Advocates, and Impacted New Yorkers Demand Lawmakers Fully Preserve the Landmark Law

Citywide coalition announces new name “Our City, Our Rights Alliance,” marking a unified front for community protection and accountability

Federal immigration agents repeatedly entered private areas of New York City shelters or obtained resident information without judicial warrants, according to Gothamist - testing the city’s sanctuary laws and putting immigrant New Yorkers at risk. “The extreme show of force here — seven armed agents in facemasks — was to intimidate staff so they could arrest our client in contravention of city law,” said Molly Lauterback, Supervising Attorney, Mental Health & Disability in the Immigration practice, highlighting the urgent need for the city to enforce its own protections.

We told the City Council that the Department of Correction is systematically failing families trying to visit loved ones on Rikers Island, turning what should be a vital point of connection into an exhausting, unpredictable ordeal. Senior Jail Services Attorney Michael Klinger described hours-long waits, arbitrary denials, and practices so hostile that families eventually stop trying to visit at all, undermining reentry, mental health, and public safety. As he testified, “The pattern is unmistakable: far from encouraging and facilitating visits, the Department’s failures are actively discouraging them.”