Criminal Justice
Rule requiring jurists to visit jails promotes confidence in courts, chief judge says
Despite the expression that justice is blind, it “should not blind itself to reality,” Chief Judge Rowan D. Wilson of the New York Court of Appeals and the state of New York said. (Photo by Hans Pennink/The Associated Press)
Starting in 2028, all New York judges who serve in criminal or family courts must visit a prison, a jail or a detention facility at least once per year.
It’s the first jurisdiction to require such visits for judges responsible for sentencing and detention decisions, according to a June 15 news release from the New York State Unified Court System.
“By doing so, it promotes confidence in the judiciary, not merely in those who are incarcerated or their families but also in the public at large. Justice may be depicted as blind but should not blind itself to reality,” said Chief Judge Rowan D. Wilson of the New York Court of Appeals and the state of New York, in the news release.
Tina Luongo, the chief attorney of criminal defense practice at the Legal Aid Society in New York, told Spectrum News that Wilson has a practice of visiting people who are incarcerated.
“Change happens when you have intentional strong leaders making this push,” Luongo said.
The judge visits will include time in intake, housing, dining and medical facilities, as well as meeting with people who are incarcerated and facility employees, administrators and service providers.
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