In this issue…
Calling on Governor Cuomo to Support the Commission on Prosecutorial Conduct
Donna Hylton in McSweeney’s
calling on governor cuomo to support the commission on prosecutorial conduct
This year, the New York State Legislature, with strong bipartisan support, passed a bill to create a State Commission on Prosecutorial Conduct. The Commission would have oversight of the state’s 62 county district attorneys and their offices, and have the ability to review complaints filed against prosecutors and investigate when necessary. If wrongdoing is found, the Commission could recommend censure or even removal — creating a new standard of accountability in the justice system in New York. Now Governor Andrew Cuomo has to sign the bill so it can become law.
Katal has joined over 100 national and statewide organizations, exonerees, and wrongfully prosecuted persons in signing a letter urging Governor Cuomo to sign the bill to establish the nations first State Commission on Prosecutorial Conduct. If you’re in NYC, please join us on Monday, August 13th at 11 a.m. at the Standing Together rally in support of the Commission. Speakers will include exonerated persons and representatives from national and state organizations fighting for criminal justice reform and human rights. Read more about the Commission in this article from the New York Daily News. For more details, or to get involved, please contact Katal’s Senior Policy Manager, Marie Ndiaye, at mndiaye@katalcenter.org.
donna hylton in mcsweeney’s
This month, Katal’s Senior Justice Fellow, Donna Hylton, is featured in the journal McSweeney’s! From now until at least the midterm elections in November, McSweeney’s is “featuring essays from powerful cultural voices alongside one simple thing, chosen by the author, that you can do to take action against the paralyzing apoplexy of the daily news…. Whatever it is, our aim is to remind you, and ourselves, of the big and small things we can do to work toward justice and change.” In Donna’s essay, she recounts being invited to the White House to discuss criminal justice reform, only to be turned away at the gates, invitation in hand, without any explanation. Check out the essay here. Thanks to McSweeney’s for including Katal in their project!
