criminal justice

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is defending a decision to buy over a half-billion dollars in COVID-19 rapid tests from a campaign donor. Her Republican opponents have seized on the issue, and one government reform group says it merits an investigation.

More than 100 groups have written a letter to Gov. Kathy Hochul asking that she not appoint another former prosecutor to the role.

Former WAER reporter Scott MacFarlane has been reporting on the Capitol riot cases for months, including the recent Syracuse defendant who was a member of the Proud Boys. MacFarlane, now with NBC in Washington D.C., discusses importance of covering these cases, what they might say about racial equity in the Justice Department, and how time at WAER still helps him in his career.

A Syracuse Housing Program, Freedom Commons, helps people coming out of prison to get education, employment, substance abuse help, and more, while offering safe, affordable housing. The program run by the Center for Community Alternatives is staffed in part by people who have served jail time themselves, and help residents keep from falling back into criminal habits that increase recidivism.

Vera House officials say the Bill Cosby ruling, allowing him to leave prison for his sexual assault conviction, sends bad messages. They worry survivors might be traumatized or remain silent about abuse. The also say it shows how wealthy individuals enjoy a different criminal justice system.

The New York State Senate held a hearing this week on a measure that would seal conviction records for up to 2 million New Yorkers who have committed…

Just how far has police reform come in our community? That’s a main theme of a virtual public discussion hosted by Syracuse university Friday and…

New Yorkers United for Justice and the President of the NAACP in Syracuse say the state’s parole system is unfairly locking up Black and brown residents…

People who suffered sexual abuse years or even decades ago might have thought their trauma has been overshadowed by the coronavirus pandemic. But the law…

The NAACP of Syracuse and Onondaga County shared their focal points for 2020 that include voting, health and education improvements, and justice in the…