On June 23, the day that the Supreme Court struck down New York state’s strict gun control laws, a coalition of public defender organizations released a joint statement calling on the Legislature to craft new gun laws that would avoid the mistakes of the old.

“Gun regulation need not mean funneling low-income Black and brown people into the criminal legal system,” reads the statement signed by the Bronx Defenders, Brooklyn Defender Services, Black Attorneys of Legal Aid, and a handful of upstate county public defender organizations.

“Today, we call on the Legislature to design new gun regulations that are rooted in equity, not racism and to address the mass criminalization and incarceration of people of color for unlicensed gun possession. We look forward to working with the Legislature to chart a new course in addressing gun violence – one that does not perpetuate racial discrimination and harm.”

View the full article from City & State New York here.