This fall, voters in New York State will head to the polls for some important elections. While we are in a state of economic uncertainty and devastating budget cuts, it is more important than ever for us to use our votes to elect policymakers who will advocate for the issues that affect our communities.
Drop [...]

Check out a letter Bob Gangi, Executive Director of the Correctional Association of NY, wrote in response to Heather Mac Donald’s Op-Ed in this Saturday’s NY Times (”Fighting Crime Where the Criminals Are“) about the NYPD’s objectionable stop-and-frisk practices that primarily target minority neighborhoods.
When the Police Stop and Frisk
Published July 2, 2010
To the Editor:
Heather Mac [...]

On Tuesday, March 16, over 400 New Yorkers united in Albany and met with more than 140 state legislators for Drop the Rock’s Advocacy Day, urging them to downsize New York’s prison system and invest in communities, not prisons. We received some great press coverage and had some excellent photos taken throughout the day. For [...]

In April 2009, the New York State Senate voted to significantly reform the notorious Rockefeller Drug Laws after years of advocacy on the part of families, formerly incarcerated people, and community organizations.
Drop the Rock is building on these advances by expanding its proposals for reform.  Our new campaign aims to reduce the harm that incarceration has on [...]

Drop the Rock is launching an Audio Documentary project to highlight the experiences which people have had with the Rockefeller Drug Laws.  We are currently holding interviews with people who are serving time under the laws in state prison, and people who are awaiting sentencing for felony drug charges at Rikers.  If you are interested [...]

Governor David Paterson, Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith, and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver have reached a deal to significantly reform the harsh Rockefeller Drug Laws.  This agreement is not the end of the Rockefeller Drug Laws, but if we have anything to do with it, it is the beginning of the end.
The compromise, which will [...]

The Correctional Association released a brief position paper recommending policy reforms which would improve our justice system and save the fiscally strapped state over $450 million annually.
Download: Reform Criminal Justice Policies, Cut Government Costs
Recommendations include:

Closing underutilized prisons,
Repealing the Rockefeller Drug Laws,
Increasing work release eligibility and participation; and
Diverting technical parole violators from prison.

These and other measures [...]

Check out Drop the Rock’s new fact sheet which presents Governor David Paterson’s previous statements and actions in support of sweeping reform of the Rockefeller Drug Laws.  Click here to print out the fact sheet: Paterson for Reform.
Governor Paterson,
This is what you said as a State Senator from Harlem:

“As a member of the New York State [...]

Check out our recent policy paper about the Rockefeller Drug Laws, Say NO to 35 Years of Injustice, prepared by Robert Gangi, Executive Director of the Correctional Association of New York .
Say NO to 35 Years of Injustice!

Drop the Rock General Fact Sheet 2008
Potential Savings from Rockefeller Drug Law Repeal 2008
Trends in Drug Committments to NY State Prison 2008
Here are Drop the Rock’s updated fact sheets/position papers on the continuing negative effects of the Rockefeller Drug Laws on individuals, communities and the state’s prison system.  The most salient fact is that, despite [...]