Latest news with #NewYorkCivilLibertiesUnion
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Yahoo
Suffolk County agrees to pay out $18 million in court settlement over ‘inhumane' conditions in county jails
New York's Suffolk County has agreed to end a 14-year court battle and shell out $18 million to former inmates who said they were forced to live in filthy jail cells alongside rats and roaches for over a decade. The class-action lawsuit accused officials of turning a blind eye to horrifying living conditions at the Riverhead and Yaphank lockups — and now taxpayers are footing the bill. The deal, quietly filed in court, grants payouts to anyone jailed in the county since 2009, with the 20 original plaintiffs pocketing $20,000 each. Inmates who were locked up in the newer Yaphank facility after 2013, however, were excluded. 'This settlement provides much-needed relief to the many incarcerated New Yorkers who have been subject to inhumane and unconstitutional conditions at the Suffolk County jails,' Gabriella Larios, staff attorney at the New York Civil Liberties Union, said in a statement. 'It also means that the county's long-standing indifference to this manufactured crisis will finally come to an end,' she added. The settlement also requires Suffolk County to implement a series of sweeping reforms aimed at cleaning up conditions inside its two jail complexes. As a part of the agreement, the county will be required to appoint an employee dedicated to addressing environmental health concerns at both facilities for at least the next three years, and must also provide cleaning and sanitation training to staff and inmates working in housing units and kitchen areas. Inmates will also be guaranteed access to personal cleaning supplies and protective gear like masks and gloves, as well as clean mattresses and blankets. In addition, the jails must bring their outdated ventilation systems up to standard and address any plumbing, rust and mold problems. Suffolk County officials must also implement a full pest control program and pay for an independent expert, approved by both the county and the plaintiffs' attorneys, to conduct annual assessments of the jails for the next three years. The lawsuit was first filed back in May 2011 by former Suffolk inmate, Rickey Lynch and 19 others from the Riverhead jail, who claimed their constitutional rights were being violated by the inhumane and dangerous living conditions. According to the suit, those conditions included 'ongoing exposure to human waste, mold, rust, vermin, freezing temperatures, and inadequate access to clean drinking water.' Attorneys from the Manhattan-based firm Allen Overy Shearman Sterling, and the New York Civil Liberties Union Foundation later joined the case — which was eventually expanded into a class-action suit on behalf of 163 plaintiffs who had filed individual complaints about conditions inside the jails. Michael Martino, a spokesman for Suffolk County Executive Edward Romaine, said in a statement that the lawsuit stemmed from the prior administration and had the potential to cost taxpayers hundreds of millions. 'Through the excellent work of our county attorney's staff, we have drastically reduced the liability facing the county,' he said. Martino noted that Suffolk remains committed to improving its jail conditions and will pay roughly $5 million toward the settlement, with the remaining amount covered by various insurance policies.
New York Post
22-05-2025
- New York Post
Suffolk County agrees to pay out $18 million in court settlement over ‘inhumane' conditions in county jails
New York's Suffolk County has agreed to end a 14-year court battle and shell out $18 million to former inmates who said they were forced to live in filthy jail cells alongside rats and roaches for over a decade. The class-action lawsuit accused officials of turning a blind eye to horrifying living conditions at the Riverhead and Yaphank lockups — and now taxpayers are footing the bill. The deal, quietly filed in court, grants payouts to anyone jailed in the county since 2009, with the 20 original plaintiffs pocketing $20,000 each. Inmates who were locked up in the newer Yaphank facility after 2013, however, were excluded. 4 Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine, center, said that an $18 million settlement over conditions at the county jail actually saved taxpayers millions. Dennis A. Clark 'This settlement provides much-needed relief to the many incarcerated New Yorkers who have been subject to inhumane and unconstitutional conditions at the Suffolk County jails,' Gabriella Larios, staff attorney at the New York Civil Liberties Union, said in a statement. 'It also means that the county's long-standing indifference to this manufactured crisis will finally come to an end,' she added. The settlement also requires Suffolk County to implement a series of sweeping reforms aimed at cleaning up conditions inside its two jail complexes. As a part of the agreement, the county will be required to appoint an employee dedicated to addressing environmental health concerns at both facilities for at least the next three years, and must also provide cleaning and sanitation training to staff and inmates working in housing units and kitchen areas. 4 The settlement relates to living conditions at the Riverhead and Yaphank lockups. Doug Kuntz Inmates will also be guaranteed access to personal cleaning supplies and protective gear like masks and gloves, as well as clean mattresses and blankets. In addition, the jails must bring their outdated ventilation systems up to standard and address any plumbing, rust and mold problems. Suffolk County officials must also implement a full pest control program and pay for an independent expert, approved by both the county and the plaintiffs' attorneys, to conduct annual assessments of the jails for the next three years. 4 Inmates had said they were subjected to inhumane living conditions. New York Post The lawsuit was first filed back in May 2011 by former Suffolk inmate, Rickey Lynch and 19 others from the Riverhead jail, who claimed their constitutional rights were being violated by the inhumane and dangerous living conditions. According to the suit, those conditions included 'ongoing exposure to human waste, mold, rust, vermin, freezing temperatures, and inadequate access to clean drinking water.' Attorneys from the Manhattan-based firm Allen Overy Shearman Sterling, and the New York Civil Liberties Union Foundation later joined the case — which was eventually expanded into a class-action suit on behalf of 163 plaintiffs who had filed individual complaints about conditions inside the jails. Michael Martino, a spokesman for Suffolk County Executive Edward Romaine, said in a statement that the lawsuit stemmed from the prior administration and had the potential to cost taxpayers hundreds of millions. 4 Jail officials must address the pest problem, bring ventilation systems up to date and more. New York Post 'Through the excellent work of our county attorney's staff, we have drastically reduced the liability facing the county,' he said. Martino noted that Suffolk remains committed to improving its jail conditions and will pay roughly $5 million toward the settlement, with the remaining amount covered by various insurance policies.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
PIX on Politics Daily: MTA plans to use AI to prevent crime
Welcome to PIX on Politics Daily with Dan Mannarino, where we break down the day's political news, headlines, and issues that matter most to you through in-depth conversation. Join us daily on PIX11+ streaming at 1:00 p.m. as we invite the newsmakers, lawmakers, and key players shaping policies that impact local communities. On Friday, Henry Rosoff is joined by the executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union, Donna Lieberman, to speak about plans by the MTA to use artificial intelligence technology to detect crime at the city's subway stations. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Independent
29-04-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
New York moves toward creating a new charge for those who wear masks during crimes
New York is expected to create a new criminal charge to levy against people who wear a mask while committing another crime. The proposal is set to be included in a sweeping state budget bill that will be taken up by lawmakers in the coming days, Gov. Kathy Hochul said Monday. The measure would make it a misdemeanor for a person to 'use a mask to conceal their identity when committing a Class A misdemeanor or higher crime or fleeing the scene immediately after committing such a crime," her office said. The move comes almost a year after the governor floated the idea banning masks in the New York City subway system because of what she described as concern about people hiding their faces while committing antisemitic acts. The idea drew swift pushback from critics who argued a mask ban could stifle protests if people participating wanted to hide their identities to avoid professional or personal repercussions. Masks were required on New York City subways during the COVID-19 pandemic, and some transit riders have continued covering their faces in an effort to protect themselves against poor air quality underground. Hochul, a Democrat, had admitted that a mask ban would be difficult to craft and noted that it would have to include exemptions for health, cultural or religious reasons. No legislation immediately emerged on the subject. Months later, state Sen. James Skoufis, a Democrat, introduced a bill that would have made it a crime for people to wear face masks to harass or threaten someone. Hochul appeared open to the senator's approach, but critics argued the proposal could lead to subjective enforcement and the proposal did not make it far in the legislative process. The idea reemerged during recent negotiations over the state budget, carried new weight as the Trump administration has cracked down on international students and scholars who have criticized Israel or participated in pro-Palestinian demonstrations. Hochul, at a press conference on Monday, said the term mask ban 'was probably an overstatement' but still claimed victory on the issue. 'What people are looking for is to not have someone be able to get away with wearing a mask when they're harming another person, or committing a crime or harassing, or threatening. We got to that, that's exactly what this does,' she said. In an interview, Skoufis said the current proposal responds to concerns about mask wearing while 'reducing the subjectivity that could be involved with law enforcement." The Trump administration's recent actions influenced negotiations on the policy, Skoufis said. 'Where we landed provides no — and I mean no — additional opportunity or tool or mechanism to ICE or federal law enforcement that does not already exist for them here in New York state,' he said, referring to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Allie Bohm, senior policy counsel at the New York Civil Liberties Union, said Hochul's initial mask ban proposal was 'deeply unpopular' and would have endangered protestors who are now concerned with being identified by the Trump administration. 'We have a federal government that has made clear that it is planning to target and is targeting people it disagrees with, and that very much includes protestors," Bohm said.
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
NYCLU report sparks concerns about privacy and drone usage, officials say it's a tool
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — The New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) issued a lengthy report this month, sounding the alarm over what they describe as prying eyes in the form of hyper-invasive drones that they say could be used by law enforcement to potentially spy on New Yorkers. The report shows well over 800 active drones registered by government agencies across the state, representing a 65% increase in two years, a majority of which are used by law enforcement. 'We see misuse, deploying these drones at protests,' said Daniel Schwarz, a privacy and technology strategist with the NYCLU. 'We see new features being deployed, new forms of surveillance technologies, whether that's facial recognition or combining these drones with other forms of audio recognition.' The drones can be fitted with biometric surveillance capabilities like facial recognition, emotion recognition, or even behavior detection, all features that the NYCLU says could infringe on the privacy rights of New Yorkers. 'It is no longer just a photo that is being taken,' Schwarz said, 'but rather, once the data is aggregated over time, it allows to track everybody's movement and really understand where they go to work? What are their associations? Did they attend a certain protest? What health care sites do they frequent? What are their religious beliefs? What are their political beliefs?' The Niagara County Sheriff was more than willing to discuss how his agency uses its five drones, the second-most in Western New York. 'We use our drones for searches, missing people, tactical operation oversight, we've used them at fire scenes,' said Niagara County Sheriff Michael Filicetti. 'They're a great tool, but that's exactly what they are, a tool, and you have to make sure you use them in the way that they're intended to be used.' Sheriff Filicetti took exception with the NYCLU report, calling it inflammatory and false. 'Any notion, again, going back to the civil liberties report, that 'we're spying on people,' I think it's really irresponsible to run a report without any data to back up what you're saying, that there's some gross misuse of drones and it's peering into people's private lives,' Filicetti said. 'I think it's very irresponsible.' When it comes to his agency, Filicetti says his policy is sound and protects the privacy rights of Niagara County citizens. He shared that policy with us, which states that the drones 'will be used in a manner that may intrude upon reasonable expectations of privacy. A search warrant will be obtained prior to conducting the flight.'Filicetti went on to tell WIVB News 4 that many of the added features the report referenced don't even apply to their drones, with the exception of thermal imaging which they use for targeted search efforts. 'Looking for a missing person, looking for a suspect that fled a vehicle, they leave a heat signature, and you'll be able to see them clear as day,' Filicetti said. 'Again, instead of searching all over, you can see, through thermal, and direct your people in to where they need to be. It's about public safety. If we can find that missing person faster using a drone, or we can apprehend that suspect that could be potentially dangerous to the public, I'm gonna use a drone all day long. I think it just makes sense.' While the focus of the report leaned heavily on law enforcement drone operations, police are not the only ones to register and use the drones. Twin City Ambulance is a private, commercial service that operates three drones. The company's president, Terence Clark says the drones have been used for special event planning, and at times to locate patients. 'Sometimes, we'll get conflicting reports where somebody is,' Clark said. 'And in a crowded situation you might be 10 or 15 feet away from a patient, unless somebody is waving their arms, you might not even know they're there.' When it comes to the NYCLU's report, Clark agreed with Filicetti that what was described in the report couldn't be further from what they're doing. 'A lot of fantasy,' Clark said. 'A lot of absurdity, in the ways that drones could be used that realistically would not be an effective use of drones and I think they missed the target with this article.' The Niagara County Sheriff's Office has the second most active, registered drones among law enforcement in Western New York, according to the NYCLU report, just behind the Livingston County Sheriff's Office. Rob Petree is an anchor and reporter who joined the News 4 team in 2025. See more of his work by clicking here. Dan Telvock is an award-winning investigative producer and reporter who has been part of the News 4 team since 2018. See more of his work here and follow him on Twitter. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
