#Right2RemainSilent

The #Right2RemainSilent campaign is a coalition made up of 100+ community organizations and leaders from across the state in support of the Youth Interrogation bill. This is legislation that requires youth under 18 have the opportunity to consult with counsel prior to police interrogation. Millions of children under the age of 18 have face-to-face contact with police in any given year.

According to the American Bar Association, 90 percent of young people waive their Miranda rights prior to police interrogation. Research by the Prison Policy Initiative further shows that youth are more than three times as likely as adults to falsely confess. In order to remedy this increasingly harmful issue, we are working to pass S878B (Bailey) / A2620A (Hevesi) which would:

Mandate counsel be provided to youth under 18 before interrogation occurs.

Ensure consultation cannot be waived by youth or their families.

Establish that any statement obtained in violation of the above cannot be used against the youth at trial.

Join us in the fight to ensure that children’s Miranda rights are protected and minimize the risk of harm arising from false confessions. We call on New York lawmakers to pass the #Right2RemainSilent bill and ensure New York’s youth are protected.