COURT WATCH NYC REPORTS AND RESOURCES
Breaking Down the New York City Punishment Machine // August 2021
Court Watch NYC’s newest zine, which provides an introduction to NYC’s local prosecutors and judges - their power and influence within the larger criminal punishment system - and how to join CWNYC’s work and local organizing around NYC’s prosecutors.
Same Game, Different Rules: Lessons From the First 100 Days of New York’s Bail Reform // July 2020
Findings based on data gathered from January to March 2020, which reveal how racial disparities and punitive conditions of release continued even as fewer people were incarcerated under bail reform—demonstrating the need to dismantle the criminal punishment system by taking power away from judges and prosecutors. Now that New York has rolled back bail reform there is every reason to believe that the injustices seen during the first 100 days of bail reform will persist and be exacerbated by the expanded discretion granted to prosecutors and judges by the rollbacks.
A People's Guide to Abolition : A Collaborative & Working Abolitionist Resource Document // June 2020
Created by Court Watch NYC volunteers, the purpose of this document is to provide a guide to abolitionist texts, videos, organizations, and other resources for movement builders to use to inform theoretical framework and political action. We recognize this document only scratches the surface of the extraordinary work being done by activists, organizers, scholars, and community members every day -- this means this guide is far from complete.
EYES ON 2020: New York Bail Reform Accountability and Implementation // December 2019
Ahead of new statewide bail reform legislation taking effect on January 1, 2020, this publication highlights the importance of the reforms and the work left to be done, provides examples from court illustrating how prosecutors are already attempting to subvert the law, and why we’ll be watching to hold them accountable in the new year.
The Power to Transform Criminal Justice is in Our Hands: 2019 Queens District Attorney Election // June 2019
In preparation for the June 25th District Attorney election in Queens, CWNYC created a public education booklet highlighting stories from Queens criminal court. The booklet informs readers about the power of the prosecutor in practice, the importance of the upcoming election, and ways to take action.
Broken Promises: A CWNYC Response to Drug Policing and Prosecution in New York City // October 2018
Check out our first issue-based zine, featuring findings from four months of observing how drug cases are handled in Brooklyn and Manhattan arraignments.
Court Watch NYC // Issue No. 1 // May 2018
Read our first newsletter! Including some background on why we started Court Watch NYC, our launch, and what we've seen in court so far.