Candidate Answers to JOLDC: Lucy Lang for Manhattan District Attorney

Candidate Name: Lucy Lang

Office Seeking Election for: Manhattan District Attorney 

1.     Response to crimes of violence

There is widespread consensus that low-level, non-violent crimes do not belong in the criminal justice system. But what about violent crimes? Do you think that people accused of violent crimes should be dealt with in the criminal system? How should these cases be handled?

We will not end mass incarceration unless we stop the ineffective reliance on incarceration as the default response for crimes of violence. Some cases of violence, such as those involving young people, are better handled with diversion programs that keep the case out of the criminal justice system entirely. As to others, I believe prosecutors mustdevelop alternative responses to violent crime, which should include community-based solutions such as restorative justice, peer navigators, and credible messengers -- issues that I have written extensively about (here). All responses to crimes of violence should be viewed through a trauma-informed lens that seeks to heal the victim and the community harmed, as well as to address the underlying causes that led to the violent conduct. That’s why as District Attorney, Iwill develop a fulltime staff dedicated to the implementation of a first-of-its-kind restorative justice program. Aboveall else, everyone accused of a crime -- regardless of whether it is a violent crime -- deserve to be treated with dignity.

2.     Police accountability

How will you hold police accountable for misconduct? Does the DA have a role in cases where the conduct does not rise to the level of a crime?

Under my leadership, the Manhattan DA’s Office will thoroughly investigate all allegations of misconduct that fallwithin our jurisdiction, prosecute criminal misconduct, and fully cooperate with the Attorney General on all officer-involved fatalities that fall within her jurisdiction pursuant to the forthcoming change to the law. Over the past several years, I have worked closely with families who lost loved ones to police violence to collaboratively develop a set of best practices to ensure police accountability (available here). These best practices have now been adopted byprosecutors’ offices across the country. Thanks to the parents and siblings whose tragic stories informed the creation of these best practices, I saw the absolute necessity of clear and ongoing communication and transparency in mattersof police misconduct, and I intend to make such communication and transparency hallmarks of the Manhattan DistrictAttorney’s Office.

As your question makes clear, holding police accountable for criminal misconduct is only one piece of the sea changenecessary. As ministers of justice, prosecutors have a duty to hold police accountable even when their conduct does notrise to the level of a crime. First, as District Attorney I will track and share all allegations against an officer that castdoubt on his or her credibility and ability to serve the community. Second, following every serious investigation of police misconduct where the DA’s office declines to charge, I will call on the grand jury to publish a detailed reportincluding the facts of the case and an analysis of why charges were inappropriate and call on the courts to release the grand jury’s report. Third, under my leadership the District Attorney’s Office will not bring charges in cases based on extensive involvement of officers with histories of serious misconduct. Further, the entirety of the District Attorney’s staff will be proactively charged with establishing a culture of respect, cultural humility for the many communities inour beautifully diverse city, and zero tolerance for language or behavior that undermines the values and integrity of the public service role to which both prosecutors and police are sworn.

3.     Community engagement

A lot of DAs talk about working with the community in dealing with issues of public safety. But in many cases thosemost impacted by the criminal justice system do not trust law enforcement and don't want to be engaged. First, doyou believe community engagement is important to public safety, and if so, how do you intend to overcome the community's distrust of law enforcement?

 It is true that many District Attorneys talk about working with their community in dealing with issues of publicsafety. But this isn’t just something I’ve talked about; it’s something I’ve done. While I was an assistant district attorney handling cases of violence in public housing, I received a letter from a tenant’s association at a publichousing complex in Manhattan. Residents of the complex were living in fear of the violence and drug dealing that prevented their children from going outside and using the playgrounds. After a resulting investigation, I oversaw a complicated murder and drug trafficking conspiracy case that helped to finally reclaim the neighborhood for thefamilies that lived there. But I recognized that prosecution alone would not solve the challenges faced by local residents,so I fought to establish a first-ever coalition of the local tenants’ association, NYCHA, the NYC Parks Department, and the NYPD, to replant the courtyards, refurbish the buildings, and develop a gardening program that enabled children and their families to safely regain use of their playground. As District Attorney, I will ensure these sorts of community-focused responses are implemented throughout Manhattan, and I will be an advocate on behalf of local neighborhoods and communities.

 It is important to remember that the currently incarcerated are members of the community served by the District Attorney. Working to engage and rebuild trust with this group is also part of the DA’s job. That’s why, as an assistantdistrict attorney, I began a first-of-its kind college class that brought assistant district attorneys inside New York prisons to study criminal justice alongside incarcerated students. At the end of each semester, the incarcerated and prosecutor-students together made reform proposals to a group of city leaders, including the District Attorney and leaders from the mayor’s office, the NYPD and corrections. While I ran the class over several years, nearly twenty percent of Manhattan assistant district attorneys participated. As District Attorney, I will require all assistant district attorneys to participate in the class tobetter understand the needs and perspectives of the incarcerated members of our community.

 More  broadly, addressing public safety requires first and foremost an understanding of what a community views asits safety priorities. To that end, I intend to spend my campaign and tenure as District Attorney listening and learningfrom the wide range of Manhattan’s communities and encouraging my staff to do the same. I will begin by ending the prohibition on assistant district attorneys serving on community boards and organizations and will instead encourage all staff to be fully engaged in their neighborhoods and community groups. I will incorporate community service ofthis nature into annual performance reviews.

Moreover, rather than continuing the practice of having a separate Community Partnerships Unit, I will embed community advocates in each bureau of the office, to serve as a resource to attorneys handling cases, and to liaise with crime survivors, families of people who touch the system, and the larger community. I will develop outside advisory councils for affinity and other community groups -- for example directly impacted community members, LGBTQ+ New Yorkers, and faith leaders. Rather than simply inviting these groups into the District Attorney’s Officeor to a town hall meeting, I will build them based on the groups’ own preferences. Finally, I will empower local and grassroots organizations that empower communities to be their own problem-solvers wherever possible.

4.     DA's role in shaping the future of policing

There is a lot of talk about re-shaping the police department, even defunding or replacing the PD. And Governor Cuomo has called on cities to submit plans for how there are re- imagining policing. Do you believe the police department should be defunded? Reformed? What do you think is the DA's role in these conversations?

 Building an equitable, safe Manhattan in which everyone is treated with dignity requires fundamentally re-thinking the role of law enforcement, and the District Attorney must be a leader in both thought and action. The DA should advocate for an approach that responds to community needs with support rather than punishment, and cease using police officers as substitutes for social workers, peer navigators, public health officials, and medical professionals.This means redirecting and reallocating resources to pro-social community organizations that are better suited to handlebehaviors and activities that do not require or even warrant a criminal-legal response. By way of example, as District Attorney, I will help create pathways to connect people suffering from a substance use or mental health challenge with agencies that can provide the person with supportive services, including medical treatment. Public health investments of this nature require that resources historically allocated for traditional law enforcement measures be diverted to other agencies, and I will both advocate for and implement these transformative changes.

5.     Increase in shootings

After years of declines, shootings and homicides have spiked this year. What do you think are the causes of thisspike, and how will you drive these shootings down and restore a sense of safety to the community?

 The recent rise in shootings is a tragedy, and a critical concern for all New Yorkers. As a former assistant district attorney, I’ve seen up close the harm that gun violence can cause in our communities and have worked closely with many victims, families and young people caught in the cycle of gun violence. As I’ve recently written (here),although the rise in gun violence is alarming to each of us, the violence itself has disproportionately affectedparticular neighborhoods – often the same communities that have been made to bear the disproportionate brunt of Covid-19 and the social and economic devastation it has wrought. Moreover, it is these same communities --predominately communities of color -- that are habitually deprived of pro-social support. As a first step in respondingto the spike in shootings and homicide, survivors and families of those lost to gun violence must be allowed to be a part of developing responses that enable healing to whatever extent possible, that address the root cause of the violence, and that communicate to the community at large that such violence must end.

 Additionally, as District Attorney I intend to develop a trauma-informed, fast-track gun court in which the judge andlawyers have deep knowledge of and relationships with Manhattan’s community-based organizations and neighborhoodleadership. By consolidating shooting cases to a single court and judge, we will expedite the resolution of cases thathistorically drag on for many months and result in an unduly severe state prison sentence. Instead, the response to these cases will be swift, fair, and certain, relying on evidence-based programs, including restorative justice responses, wherever appropriate. Protecting our communities from gun violence requires an investment in and collaboration withcommunities, including expanding wraparound services for young people, supporting community-based interventionprograms, ensuring funding for local, grassroots anti-violence organizations, and incentivizing alternative responses to incarceration that put community well-being first.

6.     Culture change

Candidates talk about the reforms they want to implement, but reform cannot happen unless the ADAs in the officeare willing to go along. How will you manage culture change in the DA's office knowing that there are people workingthere who may disagree with your policies, and in some cases may actively try to sabotage your efforts at reform?

 Under my leadership, the Institute for Innovation in Prosecution published a guide on culture change in prosecutors’ offices (here), which laid a framework for redefining internal culture in District Attorney’s offices nationwide.Consistent with this framework, I will: redefine the role of the prosecutor beyond exceptional lawyering to include empathy and compassion; put community well-being at the center of our work; hire people from the communities we serve, including those with personal experience with the criminal legal system; take an active role in the police reform movement; and regularly communicate office goals, policy positions, and successful uses of non-incarceratory dispositions. I will foster a workplace environment where the entirety of the office passionately pursues transformativechange. These cultural changes will be accompanied by a clear set of corresponding rules and standards. Compliancewith these rules and standards will be required for continued employment.

7.     Ethics

What is your view of the ethical obligations of prosecutors? Do they go beyond the ABA rules? How will you set ethical standards for the DA's office and how will you ensure that they are internalized and adhered to by yourADAs?

 ABA rules, constitutional principles and statutory requirements set a minimum threshold -- a floor -- for what isrequired of prosecutors. But prosecutors must rise above that floor to achieve meaningful fairness and justice. This means setting standards in areas like disclosure, plea bargaining, bail and sentence recommendations that rise wellabove the minimum threshold, in order to reflect and uphold the community’s own moral standards. To ensure thatprosecutors fulfill this enhanced obligation, I will not only provide clear guidance on the standards that guide theoffice, I will anchor performance evaluations in new metrics that align with these higher standards. I will also create an internal incentive structure that encourages all staff to be proactively engaged in the community well beyond prosecution alone. I will hire and train assistant district attorneys to not only abide by the rules and standards I set, but toapproach every aspect of their job valuing dignity, equity, and safety for all New Yorkers.

8.     Shrinking the criminal justice system

Many advocates argue that the criminal justice system has become too large, costing too much money and playing too large a role in responding to society's problems. Do you agree? If so, does this mean that the role ofprosecutors should also be smaller? Should prosecutors' offices be defunded?

I agree that the criminal justice system has become too large and too expensive, and it has also taken a role in far too many issues where it never belonged. We must treat social problems with social policy solutions and public health crises with a public health approach. In some cases, doing so requires divesting power and resources from prosecutors inthe District Attorney’s office to trained professionals or other organizations or community members who are bettersuited to respond.

9.     Race and the DA's office

Racial justice advocates believe that DA's offices should be reflective of the communities they serve, and that it iscrucial that the DA's office have attorneys of color, as line ADAs, as supervisors and at the highest levels of leadership. Do you agree, and if so how will you insure that the DA's office isone that attracts, retains and promotes people of color at every level?

 A diverse DA’s office that is reflective of the community it serves is mission critical to the criminal legal transformation we must bring about in Manhattan. As DA, I will build a leadership team that includes diverse legal andnon-legal talent. I will recruit attorneys from all law schools with a particular emphasis on law schools that are part of historically Black institutions. I will work with the leadership of the National Black Prosecutors Association topersonally recruit at their annual career fair and to seek guidance about best practices in retaining Black employees and other employees of color. I will create a mentorship program and leadership training as part of the legal trainingrequired for all lawyers. I will also create a culture where diversity is prized and community demographics are reflectedin all levels of senior leadership.

10.Post-conviction justice

Do you believe the DA has a continuing obligation to do justice in cases where someone has been convicted andsentenced? What would you do as DA in such cases?

 The misconception that the DA’s obligation to pursue justice ends at the time of sentencing has contributed tocreating the crisis of mass incarceration. As DA, I will create a culture in which all DA staff view their oath as extending to everyone who touches the system, over the long term. As to post-conviction review, I will create aRetroactive Review Unit that: incorporates and expands the Conviction Integrity Unit, building a robust process foranalyzing claims of innocence; works with community partners to seal appropriate cases and support applications forsealing; reviews past cases with overly punitive outcomes, to reduce racial disparities in sentencing and account for peoples’ capacity to grow and change while incarcerated; proactively advocates for parole or clemency asappropriate; and provides annual public reporting to ensure DA accountability to the goal of ending massincarceration.

11.   Decriminalization of Sex Work

Do you favor decriminalization of sex work? Do you support the legislation sponsored by State Senators Julia Salazarand Jessica Ramos. (A8230/S6419)

 Yes, I support decriminalizing consensual sex work. Sex workers are predominately straight cis women and membersof the LGBTQ+ community, and the current situation pushes them underground. They suffer from violence and are justifiably afraid to seek help and support from law enforcement. Sex work is work, and the current oppressive legal framework must change. I am opposed to the Nordic model and support complete decriminalization. Additionally,like the Jim Owles Club, I support criminalization of sexual offenses involving children and human trafficking.

12.Nordic Model

Will you actively oppose legislation that would implement the dangerous Nordic model instead of decriminalization of prostitution?

 Yes, I would oppose legislation that would implement the Nordic model and believe that sex between consentingadults should not be criminalized.

13.Record Relief Legislation

Do you support the Record Relief legislation which would expand the relief available to survivors of human trafficking? (A06983/S04981 and A9040/S2144)

 Yes, I support record relief legislation; we must end burdensome barriers to relief and protect the privacy of victimsof trafficking.

14.Walking While Trans

Do you support Walking While Trans legislation the state legislature.? (A00654/S02253)

 Yes, I believe that we need to stop criminalizing peoples’ bodies. Trans people, particularly trans women of color, are some of the most vulnerable members of our community, and instead of providing them the same freedoms andprotections others enjoy, the current system targets them.

15.Supervised Consumption Spaces

Do you support the establishment of supervised drug consumption spaces?

 Yes, public health issues should be treated as such and we should rely on the extensive scientific and medical data as well as international models that show far better outcomes for supervised consumption spaces than for traditional law enforcement responses to substance use.

16.Elder Parole

Do you support the “elder parole” legislation which provides seniors 55 years and older, who have served 15 yearsin prison, the right to apply for parole? (A9040/S2144)

 Yes, we have far too many elderly people serving unconscionably long prison terms. People 55 years and older whohave served 15 years should be able to apply for parole. This is an area of urgent concern, as COVID-19 continues tosweep through our jails and prisons, putting the most vulnerable communities at risk.

17.Hiring Practice

Will you affirmatively seek to hire formerly incarcerated individuals?

 As District Attorney, I will commit to hiring formerly incarcerated staff and actively seek their partnership in policy making. As Executive Director of the Institute for Innovation in Prosecution, I hired and worked with formerly incarcerated people on a daily basis and have formerly incarcerated individuals as advisors to and supporters of my campaign.

 As the creator of a class for incarcerated students and prosecutors to study criminal justice together in prison, and the teacher of that class over several years, I have witnessed first-hand that some of the best policies are created by thosewho have been impacted by bad policies themselves. For example, there is no mechanism for incarcerated people to apply for federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits until after they are released, and itoften takes up to two months for those applications to be processed and the released person to get access to their foodstamps. That’s why, inspired by and alongside my formerly incarcerated colleagues, I am working to create a process for incarcerated people to apply for SNAP benefits prior to their release from prison, so that they are able to access this critical lifeline upon release.

18.Demonstrations and Protests

a.  Have you participated in any demonstrations or protests in relation to the issues of clemency and parole?

b.  What press conferences, demonstrations, rallies and protests in support of LGBT issues, pro choice legislation, criminal justice issues and the Resist Trump Movement have you attended?

 I have written letters supporting parole and supporting early termination of parole for released people. As DistrictAttorney, I will advocate for clemency and parole in appropriate cases. I have marched and attended rallies for issues of racial justice, criminal justice, and gender justice consistently throughout my adult life.

Just this summer I have -- while masked and conscious of distancing -- attended the National Action Network’s March on Washington, participated and spoken at a Manhattan rally advocating for the repeal of 50a, marched on Juneteenth, and spoken at a Bronx march organized by one of my formerly incarcerated students dedicated to ending gun violence and mass incarceration. Throughout my life I have regularly attended marches and protests alongside LGBTQ+ colleagues and friends, and I look forward to continuing this advocacy during my campaign and ultimatelyas District Attorney and would be proud to march with the Jim Owles Club if given the opportunity.

19.Solitary Confinement

Do you oppose solitary confinement? Do you support the HALT Solitary Confinement Act (S. 1623/A.2500)

 I strongly oppose solitary confinement. The deaths of Layleen Polanco, Kalief Browder, and many others aredevastating and unacceptable. This practice must stop. I support the HALT Solitary Confinement Act as one step towards addressing the unconscionably conditions of confinement in New York’s prisons. As District Attorney, I will not only support HALT, I will also fight for the funding necessary to implement HALT at both the state and local level. Demanding change is good, but we’ve also got to demand the funding needed to make change a reality. Advocating for the end to solitary confinement is only one of the many ways inwhich I will call for improvements to prison conditions – starting with the fact that I will create a policy in whichprison is used only as a last resort, when there is truly no viable alternative. For cases in which a prison sentence is warranted, I will develop a policy whereby assistant district attorneys consult with defense counsel to jointlyadvocate for placement in a facility which provides whatever services and educational offerings are most suitable, and a facility in a location which is accessible to the family of the person charged with the crime. I will monitor theconditions of jails and prisons within the jurisdiction of the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office to ensure that crimescommitted within their walls, whether by incarcerated people or corrections staff, are treated with the utmost seriousness.Dangerous conditions of confinement exacerbate trauma and undermine all of our safety.

20.Sanctuary City

What proposals will you advocate for to protect immigrants and further New York as a Sanctuary City?

I have long been a strong advocate of immigrants’ rights and will continue to fight for the rights of our immigrant communities, which are so vital to our success as a city. In 2019, I issued a call (here) to keep ICE out of courthouses - something that was recently codified in the Protect Our Courts Act and upheld by a federal judge. In an op- ed this summer (here), I drew attention to an under-addressed policy of the Trump Administration’s xenophobic attack on theimmigrant community in the form of the denial of U-Visas designed to protect immigrant crime survivors. While serving at the District Attorney’s Office, I created a position for an immigration lawyer to offer counsel on that complex area of law as it affects crime survivors, their families, and people charged with crimes. As DA, I will continue to prioritize the protection of immigrants and to consider the unique collateral consequences of systeminvolvement for immigrants who are witnesses, survivors, or who are charged with crimes. To do otherwise would be to actively undermine the mandate to protect all New Yorkers.

21.Determinations of Parole

Do you believe sincere remorse, risk of reoffending and actions taken while incarcerated should be considered overthe original crime in determinations of parole? Will you have a general policy of writing letters of support to theParole Board for people convicted in New York County when they become eligible for release from prison?

 Yes, a person’s conduct subsequent to sentencing should carry greater weight than an initial crime in making paroledecisions -- the original crime was already considered in imposing the sentence itself. Of course, this means New Yorkmust invest more in programming in prison, including college, vocational, and other educational opportunities, which we know contributes significantly to peoples’ success upon release. Similarly, resources to enable self-reflection, healing, and mental health stabilization should be integrated into prison programming, to facilitate personal growth and addressing underlying causes of criminal conduct. I will develop a system for submitting letters advocating for release at the first paroleappearance of incarcerated people who successfully take advantage of prison programming, and will collaborate with the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision to expand re-entry planning resources to better support people who return to our communities from prison.

22.Visiting Correctional Facilities

Do you commit to visit constituents who are incarcerated in state prisons such as Bedford Correctional Facility toassist in bids for parole?

Yes, I have spent my career visiting people in prison and working to improve the lives of incarcerated people. Not only have I visited people in prison, I have brought around 80 Manhattan assistant district attorneys into the prisons with me: I created and taught a first-of-its kind college in prison course in which prosecutors went into prisons and learned side-by-side with incarcerated classmates, as they together developed criminal justice policy proposals.Nearly twenty percent of all Manhattan assistant district attorneys have spent time in New York prisons attending my class. I will continue to visit prisons if elected and will make it mandatory for all assistant district attorneys to do so aswell.

Even further, I firmly believe that those seeking to lead the criminal justice system should have to consider theperspective of those most impacted by it. That is why I’m a strong advocate for restoring the right to vote while in prison and have argued nationally for doing so (here). I believe this will encourage candidates to visit prisons, hear the perspective of the incarcerated, and consider their views on how leaders should conduct policy making andadminister policy in their own offices.

23.Law Enforcement Contributions

Will you reject all campaign contributions, endorsements, and outside spending from organizations that exclusivelyrepresent police, correction, and/or court officers.

Yes.

24.Real Estate Contributions

Will you reject all contributions from the real estate industry?

 I will reject any contributions from anyone with a case or investigation before the District Attorney’s Office. Butrejecting contributions is not enough. I am committed to upholding the highest ethical standards, including treating allpeople charged with a crime equally, regardless of their means or how prestigious or powerful they or their lawyer may be.Confidence in the fairness of the system is compromised when there is even the appearance of favoritism, unfairinfluence or backroom deals.

As District Attorney, I will institute a policy requiring that all discussions between the defense and the District Attorney’s Office must begin with the assistant district attorney assigned to the case, rather than permitting private lawyers to circumvent office structure by going directly to me or senior leadership. The defense may appeal any decision by the assigned ADA to the leadership of the assigned bureau. An appeal by the defense to me or my seniorstaff will only be permitted when bureau leadership recommends it or by written request of the defense that justifies overriding the decision of bureau leadership. Finally, bureau leadership and the assigned ADA will be present for allmeetings between the defense and me or my senior staff. Our system will not be just until there is fairness in access.

25.New York State District Attorney Association

Do you commit to not becoming a member of the District Attorneys Association of New York State?

I strongly disagree with many DAASNY decisions. But I believe it is important to join other progressive voiceswithin DAASNY, such as the Brooklyn District Attorney, to bring about change in the organization and collaborate towards statewide change where possible. I will additionally maintain my own legislative affairs andcommunications offices. When I disagree with a position taken by DAASNY, I commit to making my oppositionknown both with the public and with lawmakers.

26.Defense Attorney’s Contributions

How will you handle contributions from defense attorneys with active matters before the Manhattan DistrictAttorney's Office?

Any contributions from defense attorneys with matters before the District Attorney’s Office will be rejected. I do not accept contributions from any lawyer who has entered an appearance in a currently open case being handled by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office or who has met in person on a case or investigation with the Manhattan DistrictAttorney’s Office in the past six months.

 Limiting contributions from lawyers is important, but it is not enough. The real issue is not contributions, but access. Too often, District Attorneys allow special access to defense lawyers who are high-powered or personal friends. Andthey allow that access whether the lawyer made a campaign contribution or not. Rich and powerful people take advantage of this situation by hiring those lawyers, often at high fees. In effect, a rich person charged with a crime gets to buy access to the District Attorney, whether the rich person’s lawyer made a campaign contribution or not.

I am the only candidate who has vowed to end this practice and who has developed a policy to do so. Confidence in thefairness of the system is compromised when there is even the appearance of favoritism, unfair influence or backroom deals. If I am elected District Attorney, every lawyer involved in cases and investigations handled by the ManhattanDistrict Attorney’s Office will have equal access to me and my senior staff.

Campaign contributions, personal relationships, and the political clout of a particular defense lawyer or that lawyer’s client will play no role in this process.

Under my leadership, efforts at unfair access will not be tolerated; all discussions between the defense and the District Attorney’s Office must begin with the ADA assigned to the case. The defense may appeal any decision by the assigned ADA to the leadership of the assigned bureau. An appeal by the defense to me or my senior staff will onlybe permitted when bureau leadership recommends it or by written request of the defense that justifies overriding the decision of bureau leadership. Finally, bureau leadership and the assigned ADA will be present for all meetingsbetween the defense and me or my senior staff. Our system will not be just until there is fairness in access

27. LGBTQ Support

a.  Do you consider yourself a member of the LGBT community?

b.  Will you commit to hiring a member of the LGBT community to serve as a liaison to the community?

c.  What LGBT organizations have you been involved with, either on a volunteer basis or professionally?

d. Have you marched in Pride? Which marches and for approximately how many years?

I am a strong ally of the LGBTQ+ community.

As District Attorney, I will maintain the existing position of liaison to the LGBTQ+ community and will expand the responsibilities of that role to include greater community outreach, and improved education for all staff on LGBTQ+ issues. Including LGBTQ+ voices in my work has been my practice throughout my career. As the Director of the Institute for Innovation in Prosecution at John Jay College, I made sure that the LGBTQ+ community was represented on my staff, and recently hosted a panel on criminal justice issues of specific concern to the LGBTQ+ community (recording available here). A senior member of my campaign and close advisor is a member of theLGBTQ+ community, and I am currently working with a number of NYC community-based organizations dedicated to the LGBTQ+ community to further inform my campaign on issues of particular concern to members of the community. As District Attorney, I will make it a priority to hire a diverse senior leadership team, includingLGBTQ+ leadership, and to work very closely with LGBTQ+ New Yorkers.