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Issues
Find out where Eliza stands on the issues:
Eliza will reduce New York’s jail and prison population by ensuring that access to rehabilitation courts and other alternatives to incarceration are the standard, not the exception. Eliza’s policies will treat each person before the court not as a case to be processed but as a human being with their own unique circumstances and challenges. By providing treatment, rehabilitation, and wraparound services, her policies will reduce incarceration and provide the resources that keep vulnerable New Yorkers out of the criminal legal system and make our city safer for everyone. Poverty and housing insecurity are often drivers of interactions with the criminal legal system, and Eliza is committed to partnering with and providing resources to supportive housing organizations. Eliza will continue to advocate against the building of any new jails or prisons anywhere in New York City or New York State. Eliza will advocate for the immediate closure of Rikers Island, and the reallocation of funds to community-based resources that provide for the safety and well-being of our neighbors.
Under Eliza’s leadership, the criminalization of poverty by the Manhattan DA’s office will come to an end. On day one, she will discontinue the prosecution of low-level offenses that are a direct result of addiction, homelessness, mental illness, poverty, or youth. Additionally, Eliza will end drug possession prosecutions and decriminalize sex work, which will protect some of the most marginalized members of our city. Eliza will never seek cash bail. Freedom should not be contingent on how much money is in someone’s bank account. These policies will make New York City safer and more just.
It is time to restore trust and integrity to the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. No one is above the law. Eliza will ensure that those who are wealthy, powerful, or well-connected who break the law are held accountable by creating specialized bureaus to combat corrupt public officials, exploitative landlords and employers, as well as law enforcement officers who commit acts of physical abuse and perjury and who engage in violations of civil rights.
Eliza’s focus as District Attorney will center on keeping communities safe. First, we must recognize that communities are never made safer by over-policing and over-prosecution of low-level offenses, or by lengthy incarceratory sentences that remove community members from their families, jobs, schools, and housing; these actions only lead to greater long-term instability and cycles of rearrest and reincarceration. By prioritizing programs and speciality courts that address the unique needs of individuals, Eliza will make sure people can remain in their communities while receiving the help they need. Second, Eliza will shift the office's focus from mass prosecutions of low-level non-violent crimes to focus on the real perpetrators of harm that make communities less safe and stable: violent crimes and abuses of power like police brutality and wage theft.
Eliza recognizes that every individual has a unique story, and many have unique needs. She will protect immigrant communities from unfair treatment; she will refuse to prosecute juveniles as adults; and she will protect our LGBTQIA+ community from harassment and violence, while also working to protect them from abuse and unfair treatment at the hands of the legal system. In cases involving sexual and domestic violence, Eliza is committed to centering the voices and concerns of victims.
As Manhattan District Attorney, Eliza will completely overhaul the current “Conviction Integrity Program.” In its place, she will establish a true Conviction Review Unit (CRU) and will provide it with substantial funding for attorneys, investigators, and support staff. Working in conjunction with an Innocence Commission of experts to screen cases in which claims of innocence are raised, the CRU will review past convictions and make policy recommendations to avoid future wrongful convictions. By exposing and correcting past wrongful convictions, the Manhattan District Attorney’s office under Eliza will not only restore public trust in the justice system, it will also implement reforms to prevent innocent individuals from being convicted and sentenced to prison.
Eliza will reduce New York’s jail and prison population by ensuring that access to rehabilitation courts and other alternatives to incarceration are the standard, not the exception. Eliza’s policies will treat each person before the court not as a case to be processed but as a human being with their own unique circumstances and challenges. By providing treatment, rehabilitation, and wraparound services, her policies will reduce incarceration and provide the resources that keep vulnerable New Yorkers out of the criminal legal system and make our city safer for everyone. Poverty and housing insecurity are often drivers of interactions with the criminal legal system, and Eliza is committed to partnering with and providing resources to supportive housing organizations. Eliza will continue to advocate against the building of any new jails or prisons anywhere in New York City or New York State. Eliza will advocate for the immediate closure of Rikers Island, and the reallocation of funds to community-based resources that provide for the safety and well-being of our neighbors.
Under Eliza’s leadership, the criminalization of poverty by the Manhattan DA’s office will come to an end. On day one, she will discontinue the prosecution of low-level offenses that are a direct result of addiction, homelessness, mental illness, poverty, or youth. Additionally, Eliza will end drug possession prosecutions and decriminalize sex work, which will protect some of the most marginalized members of our city. Eliza will never seek cash bail. Freedom should not be contingent on how much money is in someone’s bank account. These policies will make New York City safer and more just.
It is time to restore trust and integrity to the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. No one is above the law. Eliza will ensure that those who are wealthy, powerful, or well-connected who break the law are held accountable by creating specialized bureaus to combat corrupt public officials, exploitative landlords and employers, as well as law enforcement officers who commit acts of physical abuse and perjury and who engage in violations of civil rights.
Eliza’s focus as District Attorney will center on keeping communities safe. First, we must recognize that communities are never made safer by over-policing and over-prosecution of low-level offenses, or by lengthy incarceratory sentences that remove community members from their families, jobs, schools, and housing; these actions only lead to greater long-term instability and cycles of rearrest and reincarceration. By prioritizing programs and speciality courts that address the unique needs of individuals, Eliza will make sure people can remain in their communities while receiving the help they need. Second, Eliza will shift the office's focus from mass prosecutions of low-level non-violent crimes to focus on the real perpetrators of harm that make communities less safe and stable: violent crimes and abuses of power like police brutality and wage theft. Eliza will also advocate for the reallocation of funds away from prosecution and policing and towards resources that address the medical, educational, social, and mental health needs of our communities.
Eliza recognizes that every individual has a unique story, and many have unique needs. She will protect immigrant communities from unfair treatment; she will refuse to prosecute juveniles as adults; and she will protect our LGBTQIA+ community from harassment and violence, while also working to protect them from abuse and unfair treatment at the hands of the legal system. In cases involving sexual and domestic violence, Eliza is committed to centering the voices and concerns of victims.
As Manhattan District Attorney, Eliza will completely overhaul the current “Conviction Integrity Program.” In its place, she will establish a true Conviction Review Unit (CRU) and will provide it with substantial funding for attorneys, investigators, and support staff. Working in conjunction with an Innocence Commission of experts to screen cases in which claims of innocence are raised, the CRU will review past convictions and make policy recommendations to avoid future wrongful convictions. By exposing and correcting past wrongful convictions, the Manhattan District Attorney’s office under Eliza will not only restore public trust in the justice system, it will also implement reforms to prevent innocent individuals from being convicted and sentenced to prison.
