Demonstrators outside the courthouse
POUGHKEEPSIE – A handful of demonstrators gathered near the Dutchess County Courthouse on “Juneteenth” to protest what they perceive as injustices in the state’s bail system and other rules.
Vanessa Green of Black Lives Matter Hudson Valley told those gathered that June 19th or “Juneteenth” commemorates the abolition of slavery and protests were held across the state to call on Governor Cuomo to work with the legislature to overhaul the pretrial system of bail.
“We need discovery quicker than it is and we need speedy; there are no speedy trials in New York, there are none,” Green said.
“People are languishing in jail for years over a $500 bail.”
The organizers, FREEnewyork launched the campaign to “decarcerate” jails across the state where nearly 70 percent of those incarcerated are held there pretrial. According to the organization, on any given day, 25,000 New Yorkers are held in county jails and, according to them, they are legally innocent and are caged there because of New York’s unjust bail, discovery and speedy trial laws.
On Juneteenth 2018 Black Lives Matter Hudson Valley urges New York elected leaders to begin rich and sincere dialogues with the communities most negatively impacted by the money bail system” according to Green.
