At The Legal Aid Society our Civil, Criminal Defense, Juvenile Rights, and Pro Bono practices work tirelessly in and out of the courtroom to defend our clients and dismantle the hidden, systemic barriers that can prevent them from thriving in New York City. We seek to be a beacon of hope for those who feel neglected —regardless of who they are, where they come from, or how they identify. Our experienced teams provide comprehensive services, support, and advocacy that protect rights, keep families and communities together, and in many cases, saves lives. We have an intrinsic connection to the daily lives of New Yorkers. Here are a few of the places we made a difference, provided context or added valuable perspective this week:

Rikers inmate who died was held on a technical parole violation, LAS pushes for more releases

NY Post: Rikers Island inmate dies of complications from coronavirus
NY Daily News: Inmate who died of coronavirus was being held on technical parole violation
Pix 11: Calls for Cuomo to take more action after ‘vulnerable’ Rikers inmate dies of COVID-19
The Root: Rikers Detainee Who Died From Coronavirus Was Jailed for Parole Violation
Gothamist: Man With Coronavirus Dies While Jailed For Parole Violation On Rikers Island
NY Mag: Rikers Reports Its First COVID-Related Prisoner Death
Time: New York’s Rikers Island Jail Sees First Inmate Death From COVID-19
WSJ: First Rikers Island Inmate Dies After Coronavirus Infection
Law360: NY Advocates Seek To Free 1,000 In Jail As 1st Dies Of Virus
CBS News: First Rikers Island inmate dies after testing positive for coronavirus
BuzzFeed: Inmate Who Died Was Jailed Because Of A Technical Parole Violation
QNS: Rikers Island jail officers union sues New York City over coronavirus
Huffington Post: At-Risk Group Sues To Get The Release From Rikers They Were Promised
NY Daily News: NYC district attorneys alarmed by accounts of horrible conditions at Rikers 
Slate: “Like a Cruise Ship Mixed With a Nursing Home, Plus Violence”
THE CITY: Feeling Vulnerable Behind Bars as Coronavirus Spreads on Rikers Island
Queens Daily Eagle: Man Locked Up For Technical Parole Violation Dies At Rikers
Slate: Rikers Reports First Coronavirus Death as Legal Aid Calls for Prisoner Release
Vibe: Rikers Island Inmate Dies From Complications Of COVID-19
Daily Mail: First Rikers Island inmate dies of coronavirus as 273 are infected
Yahoo News: Coronavirus: New York reports highest single-day virus death toll
Courthouse News: New York Lost 731 to Virus in Highest Single-Day Death Toll
The Appeal: People Inside NYC Jails Describe Fear Confusion and Lack of Supplies
NY Post: Legal Aid Society wants Cuomo, DOC to release 105 inmates over coronavirus risk
Marshall Project: I Was at Rikers While Coronavirus Spread. Getting Out Was Just as Surreal.
NY Post: Bronx judge orders 3 inmates released due to coronavirus
Vice News: Inside Rikers During the Coronavirus Outbreak
NYDN: More than half the city’s inmates have been exposed to coronavirus
NY Post: Another 28 inmates at Rikers released over coronavirus concerns
NYT Video: How Coronavirus at Rikers Puts All of N.Y.C. at Risk
NYLJ: 28 People Released From NYC Jails Waited ‘In Limbo’ After State Transfers Ended
NYT: Jailed on a Minor Parole Violation, He Caught the Virus and Died
NEWSWEEK: More Than 700 People Have Tested Positive for Coronavirus on Rikers Island

LAS condemns rollbacks to bail reform in NYS budget

City Limits: Opinion: Fear Prevailed in the Crusade to Undo New York’s Bail Reforms
New Republic: The Shock Doctrine Came for Bail Reform
Newsday: Bail, once Albany’s top issue, gets tweaked in state budget deal
SI Advance: Lawmakers amend controversial bail-reform laws; more crimes now bail-eligible
City Limits: State Budget Squeezes Long-Term Care Programs
THE APPEAL: New York Retreats on Bail Reform Amid Coronavirus Outbreak
Law360: New York’s About-Face On Bail Reform Wins Few Fans

LAS, NYCLU sue to reform NYS parole system

NYLJ: Delays in New York Parole Violation Hearings Will Be Deadly, Warns Federal Suit
Yahoo News: Parolees Denied Hearings Trapped On Rikers Amid Coronavirus
City Limits: NYS’s Deadliest Day Amid Signs of Slowdown, SYEP Canned
The Appeal: Parole Violations Nearly Sentenced These People to COVID-19

Advocates push to extend eviction moratorium

Gothamist: State Lawmakers Want To Pause Evictions Through December
NY Curbed: New York lawmakers seek to prevent ‘tidal wave’ of evictions
Commercial Observer: State Legislators Hope to Prolong Eviction Moratorium
Vice: Tenants Tell Us How Their Rent Strikes Are Going

More LAS in the news

NY Post: Lawsuits piling up across US amid coronavirus pandemic
NYT: He Needs Jobless Benefits. He Was Told to Find a Fax Machine.
THE CITY: State Prisoners Punished for Wearing Masks as City Jails Ok Them
The Guardian: Trump touts unproven drug as Cuomo says New York is nearing apex
City Limits: The Coronavirus Thread: Parks Dept. Signals Funding Freeze to Nonprofits
NYLJ: Defendant Has Robbery Convictions, 50-Year-to-Life Sentence Reversed
WNYC: National News Roundup; Your Unemployment Questions Answered
Newsweek: The Coronavirus Crisis Threatens 2020 Voting Rights, Other Civil Liberties
LA Times: Parents of juvenile detainees wait and worry as coronavirus spreads
Patch: New York State Legalizes E-Bikes & E-Scooters
Documented NY: There’s a Struggle to Fund Legal Services for New York State Immigrants
Mother Jones: Too Many People Behind Bars. This Pandemic Shows Why That’s Not Necessary.
JJ Information Exchange: Advocates Call For Emptying Juvenile Facilities Over COVID-19
City Limits: COVID-19 is Disproportionately Killing NYC’s Latinos and Blacks