Dear colleagues -- This past Tuesday, June 12th, the NYS Assembly successfully passed Assemblywoman Latrice Walker's bail bill (A10137A), with a total of 87 Yes votes & 57 No votes! Our press release on this significant victory, with quotes from community leaders & advocates, can be accessed here. The Assembly's press release on their whole criminal justice package is available here, and you can watch the full Assembly debate on the bail bill here. This joint op-ed from bill sponsors Assemblywoman Walker and Assemblyman Lentol also explains what we can expect if this bill becomes law. There are only three session days remaining before the legislative session ends on June 20th. The Senate and Governor must now take action. While there is only a slim likelihood of movement in the Senate, the unprecedented situation in the Senate right now, with the 31 - 31 split, means that we must be ready for anything and should push for passage NOW. Can you take the following two ACTION STEPS in the coming days? 1. CONTACT Governor Cuomo and your local senator to urge them to enact bail reform NOW: o Call Governor Cuomo: 518-474-8390; o Call your State Senator: NYS Senate switchboard at (518) 455-2800. If you don't know who your State Senator is, they'll tell you. When prompted and once you say your zip code/address out loud, the line should automatically connect you; o Tag them on Facebook & Twitter using the linked social media toolkit 2. JOIN US for our statewide criminal justice call next Thursday, June 21st, from 12 pm to 1:15 pm. We will be debriefing the legislative session. You can register for the call here. Updates and Resources: There are a few updates and resources to share about bail reform in NY -- 1. BAIL BILL COMPARISON CHART: Want to understand the differences between the bail bills in Albany? The linked chart provides a close comparison of the similarities and differences in the Walker bill (Assembly), the Gianaris bill (Senate) and the governor's own bail proposal. 2. BAIL REFORM VIDEOS: Check out our new series of bail reform videos! Watch the videos & TAKE ACTION here. 3. KALIEF BROWDER PLEDGE: last week, Akeem Browder, brother of Kalief Browder, called on Albany lawmakers to sign a pledge to reform New York's unjust pretrial system, including eliminating wealth based detention. You can read and sign the pledge here, and use the hashtag #IStandWithKalief. 4. NEW REPORT ON BAIL REFORM AND RIKERS: The Vera Institute and FWD.us released a new impact-analysis about Rikers Island and how real, bold bail reform is necessary to close the facility. Read the press release here, and the full analysis here. 5. NFL PLAYERS COALITION SUPPORTS BAIL REFORM: the NFL Players Coalition delivered this letter to Governor Cuomo last week, pushing for bail reform before the current legislative session ends; 6. NY BUSINESS LEADERS SUPPORT BAIL REFORM: this week, business leaders across New York State issued their own letter, calling on legislators to pass bail reform before the end of the legislative session. The signatories of the letter include notable names from left, right, and center. 7. CAPITOL PRESSROOM RADIO SEGMENT: last week, Akeem Browder & Katal's gabriel sayegh appeared on Susan Arbetter's radio show to discuss the urgent need for comprehensive bail reform. Listen to the full conversation here. See immediately below for additional media coverage following passage of the Assembly bill on Tuesday. Please let us know if you have any questions. Sincerely, Sean MEDIA CLIPS ON PASSAGE OF WALKER BAIL BILL Lawmakers Vote to Eliminate Cash Bail U.S. News June 12, 2018 Assemblywoman Walker Talks Cash Bail System Spectrum News June 13, 2018 POLITICO NY Assembly passes bail reform bill By THOMAS PUDNEY 06/12/2018 06:48 PM EDT ALBANY — The Assembly passed a criminal justice reform bill Tuesday that would eliminate cash bail for misdemeanor and non-violent felonies. The vote was 85-44 in favor. “Every year, thousands of New Yorkers are incarcerated awaiting trial simply because of unreasonably high bail and criteria set by private bail bonds that are impossible to meet for most minority families, but the time for change is upon us,” said Assemblywoman Latrice Walker (D-Brooklyn), sponsor of the bill, NY A10137 (17R). “This bill would address the over-reliance on financial resources that pervades our current system, and help reassure New Yorkers that in this state, justice is not for sale.” Assemblyman Joe Lentol (D-Brooklyn) noted that bail is not meant to be punitive. “In 1965, when the penal law was adopted, there was considerable debate over the question of preventive detention — which is really what we’re talking about, but talking around it,” said Lentol. “It's not about detaining someone that is dangerous, or that you assume is dangerous. We’ve been operating in a system that really ignores the presumption of innocence.” Some Democrats said they believed the bill did not go far enough, but said it was a good place to start. “I’m supporting this bill. It didn't go as far as I wanted it to go. You really would have been upset if you heard what I wanted to do,” said Assemblyman Charles Barron (D-Brooklyn). “I think this is a step in the right direction.” Advocacy groups said they were pleased, but they argued that there is still a long way to go in repairing New York’s criminal justice system. “Reform of our current bail system is necessary and urgent. Tens of thousands of New Yorkers suffer the brutality of pretrial detention every year simply because they are poor and cannot afford bail,” said Lisa Schreibersdorf, executive director of Brooklyn Defender Services. “The right to pretrial freedom is inherent to a presumption of innocence and is a moral and human rights imperative.” The Legal Aid Society, which provides legal defense for the indigent, said it would continue to work for further reform. “As the crisis of mass incarceration has grown, so has the need to pass sweeping criminal justice reform,” said Tina Luongo, an attorney with the Legal Aid Society. “We also continue to demand legislation that abolishes the for-profit bail bond industry, which continues to profit off of communities of color who are forced to pay for their loved ones’ pretrial freedom.” -- Sean Allan Hill II, Esq. Senior Legal Fellow Katal Center for Health, Equity, and Justice 347.921.0826 www.katalcenter.org .