Anyone accused of a crime is supposed to be considered innocent until proven guilty, but for many New Yorkers, especially people of color, this doesn’t match the reality of the criminal justice system. People who haven’t been convicted of crimes remain in jail because they can’t afford to pay bail, trials take far too long to begin while people remain behind bars, and not everyone has access to lawyers with sufficient resources.
The NYCLU works to ensure New York reduces its dependence on incarceration and criminalization, protects the right to adequate counsel and a speedy trial, and increases transparency in the system.
