S.T.O.P., 26 Civil Rights Groups Call On Mayor De Blasio To Restrict Use Of Electronic Monitoring

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View this email in your browser For Immediate Release S.T.O.P., 26 Civil Rights Groups Call on Mayor de Blasio to Restrict Use of Electronic Monitoring.   [NEW YORK, NY, 03/06/2020] -- Yesterday, the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (S.T.O.P.), a New York-based privacy group, and a national coalition of 26 civil rights and community-based organizations sent a letter calling on New York Mayor Bill de Blasio to restrict the use of electronic monitoring on New Yorkers awaiting trial. The joint letter came in response to recent calls from the NYPD and prosecutors to expand use of electronic monitoring for New Yorkers who can no longer be held on cash bail pending trial.   SEE: Electronic Monitoring Sign-On Letter https://www.stopspying.org/em-letter Surveillance and the City: Tracked Until Proven Innocent? https://www.gothamgazette.com/opinion/9131-surveillance-and-the-city-tracked-until-proven-innocent   “We can’t allow bail reforms to be sabotaged by those who want to replace physical confinement with electronic shackles,” said Surveillance Technology Oversight Project Executive Director Albert Fox Cahn. “Electronic monitoring presumes New Yorkers are guilty until proven innocent, and we’re especially concerned that will fall most strongly on New Yorkers of color. Mayor de Blasio must reevaluate electronic monitoring, not expand it.” For-profit bail firms previously operated electronic monitoring systems in New York City, but the state’s recent bail reforms include a provision mandating that the City itself must operate any electronic monitoring program. In 2018, more than 77,000 people were arrested in New York City for felonies that qualify for electronic monitoring under the revised bail statute. SEE: Act requiring NYC to oversee pre-trial monitoring (Section 510.40) https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/CPL/510.40 The Surveillance Technology Oversight Project is a non-profit advocacy organization and legal services provider hosted by the Urban Justice Center. S.T.O.P. litigates and advocates for privacy, fighting excessive local and state-level surveillance. Our work highlights the discriminatory impact of surveillance on Muslim Americans, immigrants, and communities of color.   - END – CONTACT: S.T.O.P. Executive Director Albert Fox Cahn;     Copyright © 2019 Surveillance Technology Oversight Project, All rights reserved. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.