Q3 2022 Newsletter

Hey Good Callers! 

It's that time of the year again when we give y'all the rundown on all the exciting activity and projects happening at Good Call. 

NYSABPRHAL Was One for The Books

This past April, with the help of Senator Comrie and Senator Myrie, we hosted our very first panel discussion at the 51st annual NYSABPRHA Legislative Conference. The panel consisted of 5 experts on Early Legal Intervention whose focus was to educate attendees on Early Legal Intervention and explore its usage as a legal remedy for the current inequalities of the Criminal Justice System.The discussion was compelling, and informative, while at the same time difficult to bear when listening to stories about the trauma so many people endure when incarcerated. Attendees left the panel with a clear understanding of the existing barriers within the pre-trial space and new systems and technologies that are being used around the country to mitigate the long-lasting and devastating impact of the current pretrial system on low-income communities.

Albany NY, NYSABPRHA Legislative Conference 

What Happened After Civic I/O?

As you all know, we won the Civic I/O 2022 Technology Pitch Competition this past march. As winners, the US Conference of Mayors invited us to their 90th Annual Meeting to pitch the Good word on a national stage to Mayors from across the country. This was an inspirational experience, especially getting to know some of our nation’s great leaders, many of whom are ready to start creating drastic change within their cities. 

As we move forward and seek to expand, these opportunities and conversations are vital in order to make early legal intervention available nationwide. We’ve spent the last 5 years working to make NYC a safer place for all, but now it’s time to take things to the next level! By this time next year we could be in another city near you, so stay tuned.

Reno Nevada, The US Conference of Mayors 90th Annual Meeting 

Pride Month Isn’t Enough

It was great canvassing with our LGBTQ+ family this past pride month! Although our mission is to empower communities of color, the need for early representation within the arrest process extends beyond race, gender or sexual orientation. We are proud to support our LGBTQ+ community and will continue to create new and innovative ways to connect with vulnerable communities all over the city. As a result, we have dedicated more time and resources to brooding our LGBTQ+ impact through our internship program, outreach targets, and our Know Your Rights incubator. But we’ve only begun to scratch the surface! Which is why we’re proud to announce that this summer we will be sponsoring select NYC drag shows in-order to spread awareness about policing and our emergency services.

New York NY, Harlem Pride 

Our Poster Campaign is Taking Off

Much of our work requires us to develop unique ways to spread the word about our emergency services. One of our latest projects is our Interactive Poster Initiative. We are partnering with community organizations, businesses, and social justice stakeholders to help us combat predatory policing with access to legal support. For no cost, someone from our team will deliver and hang interactive posters in your facilities that allow individuals to scan it so they can learn about the hotline number and how to utilize our Save an Emergency Contact feature. To place an order or get more information, please contact community@goodcall.nyc

Hands Off The Hood

In New York City, the increased police presence in black & brown communities and the subway system disproportionately affect low-income New Yorkers and criminalizes quality of life offenses. According to the New York Police Department, arrests in the transit system increased by 64% since last year and 350 of those arrests were for the misdemeanor of fare evasion.Less than 1% of arrestees have access to a lawyer when they are being held or interrogated, resulting in a high percentage of pre-trial detentions and perpetuating a cycle of racial inequity and violence.The net result is that marginalized individuals are far more likely to spend excessive time in detention unjustly, and the costly impact of these detentions, for both the individual and the state, is exorbitant. Individuals face unforeseen circumstances such as lost jobs and income, removal of their children, lost housing, and developing criminal records that hurt their ability to get a job for the rest of their lives. Good Call’s #handsoffthehood campaign will disseminate applicable and relevant information to underserved communities, and NYC transit riders in an effort to mitigate the unintended economic consequences of excessive policing and arrests. During the campaign, we will target over-policed communities using NYC arrests data to share the hotline information,create local activations and educational opportunities for residents to familiarize themselves with their rights and the services available to them in an event of an arrest.

The New Interns are Here

This summer we are proud to introduce our newest Internship class, Cohort 16. This cohort is composed of SYEP (Summer Youth Employment Program) participants, as well as John Jay students enroute to graduate this Fall. This cohort will undergo our standard course curriculum, however, they'll also be learning new skills beyond the classroom such as Gsuites training, CPR training, and financial literacy. In addition, they will also be participating in further outreach initiatives to develop a deeper connection and understanding of the communities we serve.

Brooklyn NY, Safety Saints CPR Training  

Thank you for your unwavering support as we continue to protect the rights of New Yorkers around the 5 boroughs.  

**Good Call is a community-centered, 501c3 tech nonprofit focused on providing 

early legal intervention for those arrested. If you would like to support our work via a tax-deductible donation, select the button at the top right corner of the page.