News
Here you can read the latest press from all of our Projects, and find out about the tremendous work we’re doing every day.
Each of these stories represents lives changed for the better, and we are so proud of our staff for their dedication to the people they serve.
City Council Holds Hearing for Creation of “One-Stop Shop NYC Business Portal”
City Land
"Carina Kaufman-Gutierrez, of the [UJC] Street Vendor Project, both emphasized the importance of Small Business Services maintaining one-on-one, live assistance, and training in the use of the Portal.”
At the Last Minute, City Officials Put Brakes on Alternative to Solitary Confinement at Rikers
The City
“‘Far too many people have been traumatized, tortured, and lost their lives in DOC custody, especially in solitary confinement,’ said Darren Mack, co-director of [UJC's] Freedom Agenda and a member of the Jails Action Coalition.”Overtime Hires Ex-NCAA Official Tim Nevius as Compliance Chief
Sportico
“In 2019, Nevius launched the College Athlete Advocacy Initiative, a non-profit organization, seeded with money by the Urban Justice Center, which lobbied for athlete compensation rights and provided free legal counsel to athletes ensnared in the NCAA’s bylaws.”
‘At Their Breaking Point’: Tenants Fight to Stay in Their Homes
New York Times
The dam will burst, said Raven S. Dorantes, a managing attorney of the Urban Justice Center’s Safety Net Project. It’s only a matter of time. “You are going to see a lot more folks at their breaking point,” she said.Rikers Island, push for decarceration and a federal takeover?
Amsterdam News
Criminal justice advocate Darren Mack, co-director of [UJC's] Freedom Agenda, said that Rikers should have closed a long time ago because no one is safe there. “We need immediate decarceration, like the effort we saw at the beginning of COVID-19, with action from judges, prosecutors, and the DOC commissioner with the support of the mayor,” said Mack. “Without that, they are choosing to let people die.”City Jails Won’t Turn Over Shuttered Rikers Building on Path to Green Island
The City
Sarita Daftary, co-director of [UJC's] Freedom Agenda, an organization that’s part of the coalition that pushed Renewable Rikers, agreed. “OBCC should be transferred,” she said. “It makes sense to consolidate operations."
