The criminalization of drug use has not been an effective method of prevention. Instead, it has created more dangerous conditions: enabling police harassment, subjecting more people to the violence of prisons and jails, and putting immigrants at risk of deportation since arrests are logged in a database accessible by ICE.
End the War on Drugs and the Criminalization of Mental Illness.
The Problem
How We’ll Solve It
The criminalization of drug use and mental illness has not been an effective method of prevention and treatment. Instead, it has created more dangerous conditions: enabling police harassment and subjecting more people to the violence of prisons and jails. And for immigrants, a single substance-related arrest can result in detention and deportation by ICE.
All Drug Decriminalization (S.2340/A.3434)
eliminates criminal penalties for low-level drug possession and the possession of personal use drug paraphernalia, and also allows for the expungement of arrest and conviction records for drug possession.
Treatment Not Jail (S.1976/A.1263A)
provide san off-ramp from the criminal legal system that allows New Yorkers with mental health needs to obtain robust treatment and support in their communities, rather than languishing in jail.
Daniel’s Law (S.2398/A.2210)
removes police as the default solution to address mental health and substance use needs, and assigns mental health professionals as first responders to mental health crises. In honor of Daniel Prude, a Rochester resident who was experiencing an acute mental health crisis and died after police held him face down on the pavement until he stopped breathing.
Street Vendor Legalization Act (S.1739/A.3575)
ends the criminalization and intimidation of street vendors by the police and allow vendors—primarily immigrants, women, and people of color—to continue feeding New Yorkers and enriching the culture of New York City.
The Massage License Decriminalization Act (S.5787/A.1112)
ends arrests for unlicensed massage workers, which happen almost exclusively to Asian women, and prevents cops from stealing money from workers and weaponizing their badges to sexually coerce workers.
Stop Violence in the Sex Trades (S.4396)
decriminalize sex work between consenting adults, which reduces police exploitation and violence, reduces STI transmission, reduces violence sex workers encounter, improves services for sex workers, and empowers sex workers to use harm reduction tools.
| Treatment Not Jail | One Pager | https://justiceroadmapny.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/TNJ-Bill-Summary.pdf |
| Treatment Not Jail | Campaign Backgrounder | https://justiceroadmapny.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Treatment-Not-Jail-Campaign-FINAL.pdf |
| Daniel’s Law | Bill Summary | https://justiceroadmapny.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/NYCLU-One-Pager-DanielsLaw-v01.2.pdf |
| Street Vendor Legalization Act | Bill Summary | https://justiceroadmapny.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Two-Pager_S1175A5081.pdf |
| Stop Violence in the Sex Trades | Bill Summary | https://justiceroadmapny.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/SVSTA_Onepager_5.12.21.pdf |
| Stop Violence in the Sex Trades | Decrim v. Prohibition Model Explainer | https://justiceroadmapny.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Decrim-vs.-Prohibition-model-.pdf |
| Stop Violence in the Sex Trades | Report | https://justiceroadmapny.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Data-for-Progress-Decriminalizing-Survival.pdf |
| Stop Violence in the Sex Trades | Propublica Report | https://www.propublica.org/article/nypd-cops-cash-in-on-sex-trade-arrests-with-little-evidence-while-black-and-brown-new-yorkers-pay-the-price |