Authors
Chris Gelardi
Chris Gelardi is a reporter for New York Focus investigating the state’s criminal-legal system. His work has appeared in more than a dozen other outlets, most frequently The Nation, The Intercept, and The Appeal. He is a past recipient of awards from Columbia and Northwestern universities to cover immigration enforcement, US militarism, contemporary colonialism, and county jails. His investigations into the use of a police gang database in Washington, DC, have spurred lawsuits and legislation. He’s based in Queens.
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Loopholes Hobble Hochul’s Proposal on Conviction-Based Housing Discrimination, Critics Charge
Advocates organizing for similar laws say loopholes in Hochul’s proposal make it “virtually meaningless,” and are encouraging the governor to withdraw the measure.
March 22, 2022
Parole Reform Squabble Has Left Hundreds Sitting in New York Jails
New York’s prison agency is interpreting key provisions of a landmark parole reform law to keep more people locked up. A lead sponsor of the legislation calls it “appalling.”
March 10, 2022
Is There Anything New in Eric Adams’s Gun Violence Plan?
Many have described the New York City mayor’s “blueprint” to address gun crime as occupying a novel middle ground. But it mostly copies the policies of his predecessor and relies heavily on tough-on-crime tactics.
February 24, 2022
“They Didn’t Test Anybody”: Jails Across New York Administer Alarmingly Few Tests During Omicron Surge
During the first eight weeks of omicron, only one jail system administered enough tests to screen every incarcerated person even once, a New York Focus analysis found. Most didn’t come close to that rate.
February 2, 2022