ABOUT COURT WATCH NYC
During its first two and a half years, Court Watch NYC was a collaborative project between Envision Freedom Fund (formerly the Brooklyn Community Bail Fund), 5 Boro Defenders, and VOCAL-NY. Court Watch NYC is now a program of Envision Freedom Fund (formerly Brooklyn Community Bail Fund).
OUR MISSION
Court Watch NYC harnesses the power of New Yorkers to organize for transformative change toward abolition. We watch court proceedings, shift power in the courtroom, report what we see, and hold court actors accountable to ending the injustices in the criminal legal system that target Black, brown, indigenous, immigrant/migrant, queer and TGNC communities.
OUR GOALS
To foster a culture of accountability & transparency by bringing hundreds of New Yorkers into the courtroom to observe the behavior of public officials in court.
To collect and publish data about prosecutor behavior and compare (in real time) what’s happening in the courtroom with publicly announced District Attorney (DA) policies.
To raise awareness about the role of DAs in the justice system through accountability actions and public education events.
To inspire a base of volunteers to stay active and get involved in broader efforts to shrink the criminal legal system in New York City & State.
We vote for our District Attorneys, they promise reform, and we are building a community-driven movement to hold them accountable.
GET INVOLVED
Stay tuned to RSVP for our upcoming trainings April 12, 2022, July 12, 2022, and November 8, 2022.
OUR 2021 ACCOMPLISHMENTS
CONTACT US
To keep up to date with Court Watch NYC, sign up for our mailing list.
For other inquiries, email us at info@courtwatchnyc.org. We look forward to hearing from you!