As New York`s leading public advocate, our influence extends beyond each individual case or client. We are committed to addressing systemic inequalities in the criminal justice system so that no one is denied their liberty rights and the presumption of innocence. Today, 50 years later, the Parole Revocation Defence Unit, through a dedicated team of lawyers, paralegals, investigators and social workers, represents more than 6,000 probation officers per year with the stated goal of shortening their incarceration at Rikers Island and supporting probation clients in the community upon release to avoid violations and re-incarceration. As a result of the work of the UPRP, clients receive high community performance as a result of probation orders being lifted or clients being transferred to the community even after revocation due to compelling mitigating factors. For the thousands of low-income New Yorkers incarcerated on Rikers Island after being accused of violating state probation and post-release supervision, Legal Aid is alone in its knowledge, skills, and commitment to providing the best legal services in New York State`s probation. Established in 1972, the Legal Aid Society`s (PERD) Parole Revocation Defence Unit was the first specialized unit in the country to represent clients in probation revocation proceedings. As part of our long-standing partnership with the Robin Hood Foundation, LAS has typically held regular on-site legal clinics for individuals from community organizations, colleges in the City University of New York (CUNY) network, and Rikers Island. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, LAS has been conducting remote check-in in the interest of the health and safety of everyone involved, using technology to interview customers and obtain copies of required documents and signatures when needed. These adjustments to our community reception allow us to continue to provide civil legal aid to individuals and families through agencies where they receive other services, and to help students with legal issues that may prevent them from completing their post-secondary education. With a wide range of civil law expertise, our staff advises and represents clients in a variety of legal matters, such as non-payment and withholding cases, SSI/SSD claims refusals or terminations, receipt or increase of child support, and adjustments to status or citizenship. As New York City`s lead defense attorney, we believe that advocacy should take place not only in the courtroom, but also in the communities where our clients live and work. Our holistic practice offers our clients enthusiastic and experienced representation. Every day, our advocates engage clients, community members, and advocacy groups, helping to amplify the voices of those affected by a broken criminal justice system, especially those incarcerated in prisons, prisons, or detention centers.
With a permanent and permanent legal team, PRDU has achieved many successes in early release and the abolition of probation for some clients. Our work has also led to critical changes in the policies and procedures of the tribunals in which we operate. For example, in April 2015, our writ team won a victory before the Court of Appeal, which found that jurisdiction is a prerequisite for due process in probation violation proceedings. This important decision now allows incompetent individuals accused of probation violations to receive mental health treatment instead of being imprisoned. In addition to this important type of legal work, the unit continues to file administrative complaints and conduct other appeals on behalf of our clients. The Rikers Reentry Project has established a relationship with the Fedcap Women`s Project to support people who have experienced severe trauma, including sexual assault and abuse, human trafficking, and domestic violence. This partnership allows us to offer specialized legal assistance to clients who often need immediate assistance. In one of these cases, we helped a client who had been referred by the Women`s Project obtain a FHEPS housing voucher after two different providers told her she was not eligible. Thanks to her FHEPS grant, she was able to find housing after her release and escape homelessness. UDRP and other entities following the conviction of the Legal Aid Society have expanded to address conditions in communities that negatively impact probation compliance. In the future, these units will deploy legal staff to maintain contact between clients and probation officers after detention to oversee the imposition of conditions that often unnecessarily result in the loss of the client`s home or job.
The loss of these two important social stabilizers often leads to violations and re-incarceration. Our groundwork in this area of reintegration has already prevented many violations and helped our clients find their way through an often cumbersome probation system. LAS`s Rikers Re-Entry Project (the project) is also an integral part of our community admissions programs, giving us the unparalleled ability to facilitate the successful reintegration and reintegration of individuals into society. With in-depth institutional knowledge of the criminal justice system, coupled with our civil law expertise, the project ensures that clients awaiting release from Rikers Island have access to comprehensive legal assistance. She went on to describe the living conditions of New Yorkers currently detained in the facility. The Legal Aid Society works throughout New York City to ensure that everyone has access to justice. Our teams of experts work in all areas of practice in almost every area of law that affects New Yorkers. All clients` cases handled by the criminal defense firm. Laura Eraso, a lawyer with our parole revocation defence unit, will never forget her first days fighting for her clients` freedom in cramped trailers on Rikers Island.