How New York State Law Limits Independent Police Discipline – And What the Legislature Could Do to Address It

Prof. Ava Ayers
December 15, 2025

Since the early 2000s, civilian oversight of law enforcement has emerged as a widely adopted strategy to address community concerns about policing, curb abuses and misconduct, and promote accountability and trust in police departments and individual officers. For municipalities that have adopted civilian-oversight models, complaints of police misconduct are reviewed or investigated by agencies independent of police departments, like civilian review boards, instead of being handled internally within police departments. However, efforts to implement and conduct civilian oversight over law enforcement, particularly discipline, have encountered difficulties, including political constraints, local and state statutes, and limited resources. In New York, the state’s own laws pose significant challenges for local governments seeking to empower independent agencies like civilian review boards to exercise authority over police discipline. This explainer examines the statutory barriers to independent police discipline in New York State and identifies potential reforms that could resolve such barriers.

Voting While Incarcerated in Local Jails in New York

Richard Rifkin, Esq.
June 17, 2025

The New York State Constitution provides that the state Legislature shall enact laws excluding individuals who have been convicted of “bribery or of any infamous crime” from the right to vote. Thus, the law is clear. Under New York law, any citizen, including those who are incarcerated but not convicted of a felony, may vote. However, there are significant barriers for those who are incarcerated and who have not been convicted of a felony to exercise their right to vote. This explainer outlines the state of voting access for individuals who are eligible to vote while incarcerated in county jails in New York and potential statutory reforms that could address barriers to voting access.

Explaining the New York State Prison Strike and the HALT Act

Genevieve Bombard ’27
March 6, 2025

A statewide strike of approximately 15,000 corrections officers at nearly all of the 42 prisons operated by the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) has prompted conversations about major legal and policy issues impacting the safety and wellbeing of incarcerated individuals and employees inside the state's prisons, including the Humane Alternatives to Long-Term Solitary Confinement (HALT) Act. This explainer examines the legal and policy implications of the HALT Act and its role in the discourse surrounding the statewide prison strike.

Alternatives to Police as First Responders: Crisis Response Programs

By Matt DeLaus
November 16, 2020

For 911 calls about someone in crisis, who should respond? Many cities have decided it should not solely be police. Programs replacing police with social workers, mental health counselors, and medical staff have been in operation for at least a year in some states.

These programs are focused on providing more appropriate services and reducing government spending.