On Tuesday, March 24, VOLS Incarcerated Mothers Law Project Director Stephanie Taylor testified before the New York City Council Committee on Criminal Justice Preliminary Budget Hearing. She highlighted the barriers parents face in maintaining relationships with their children while navigating incarceration, family court, and re-entry without access to legal support to protect their parental rights. She called upon the City to fund programs that provide family law assistance for incarcerated parents, invest more in community-based organizations so they can develop family law advisory services, and ensure that parents receive information about their parental rights and family court obligations at the earliest stages of custody. A copy of the testimony is available below.
