Reuven Blau
THE CITY
New York, United States
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Past articles by Reuven:
Racial Gap in City Jails Has Only Gotten Worse, John Jay Study Finds
Authors and other experts say the racial imbalance will likely continue unless there’s a multifaceted effort to reform other areas such as housing, education, and mental health services. → Read More
Health Department Probing Possible Foodborne Illness Outbreak in Brooklyn
Campylobacter is a gastrointestinal bug that can come from eating raw or undercooked poultry. About 50 cases have been reported so far to city health authorities. → Read More
Big Changes to Parole Are Here. How Will ‘Less is More’ Hold Up?
New York’s major parole policy reform went into effect March 1. It aims to transform how formerly incarcerated people are treated. Here’s how it works. → Read More
When Visitors Were Banned From Rikers Island, Even More Drugs Showed Up
Internal jails numbers obtained by THE CITY suggest that when only corrections officers, staff, certain contractors and lawyers were allowed in, detainees may have had even greater access to drugs. → Read More
Rankled Choice: Voting Experts Say BOE Rushed Into Releasing Preliminary Results
The snafu that led to the city Board of Elections pulling the tally Tuesday could have been avoided, experts say. Now some worry that the disaster will sully the ranked choice voting system, which supporters say make for fairer elections. → Read More
Brooklyn Yeshivas Blow NYC-Set Deadlines on Bolstering Secular Studies
Letters to Carranza detailing a child’s plight offer insight into the crisis as slow action follows de Blasio’s delayed release of damning report. "It’s child abuse," one mother decared. → Read More
Too Many Parolees Being Sent Back to Rikers Unnecessarily, Advocates Say
Criminal justice reform advocates contend that authorities should stop putting people who have not committed any new crimes in jail for technical parole violations — especially during a pandemic. → Read More
No Bathroom Relief in Sight for Thousands Living on the Streets
Homeless New Yorkers report the coronavirus crisis has made it more difficult to find water and bathrooms. Meanwhile, portable toilets put out by the city were destroyed. → Read More
NYC Public Libraries Mull Grab-and-Go Book Pickup Service
E-book purchases grow at NYPL and other local systems as library officials serve readers’ immediate needs while preparing for a technological transformation hastened by the coronavirus pandemic. → Read More
State Prison Virus Cases Mounting as Outside Figures Plateau
Infection numbers inside New York State’s lockups appear to mimic the city and state’s outbreak curve, but on a two-week delay, THE CITY’s analysis shows. → Read More
First Rikers Virus-Positive Fatality Was Jailed on Technicality
Michael Tyson, who died Sunday, was awaiting a hearing on parole violation. Inmate advocates said he shouldn’t have been behind bars. → Read More
Reimagining New York Jails Without Solitary Confinement
A growing chorus of critics wants to strictly limit or ban isolation in the wake of Layleen Polanco’s death. But what are the alternatives? → Read More
Jail Oversight Board Floats Solitary Reforms After Polanco Death
The Board of Correction, which oversees Rikers Island and other city jails, is mulling ideas to limit the use of so-called punitive segregation. Layleen Polanco death has spurred calls for jail overhauls. → Read More
Rikers Empties Women’s Solitary Unit After Polanco Death
The 27-year-old transgender woman had been held there for nine days when she died following a hospital stay. The case is under investigation. → Read More
Questions Over Why Layleen Polanco Was Jailed Amid $500 Bail
Lawmakers demand answers in case of the transgender woman, who died in solitary confinement on Rikers Island while held on misdemeanor charges. → Read More
Cuomo says plastic bag ban will be part of New York State budget
A proposed ban on single-use plastic shopping bags will be included in the state budget, Gov. Cuomo announced Sunday. → Read More
Shutdown exacerbates opioid crisis as doctors blocked from prescribing key medication
Doctors seeking to prescribe a critical anti-opioid drug are being blocked by the ongoing partial federal government shutdown, Sen. Schumer said Sunday. → Read More
Nazi who lived in Queens for decades dies months after he's deported to Germany
Nazi war criminal who was recently booted from his home in Queens back to Germany has died. Jakiw Palij , 95, worked as a guard at the Nazi German Trawniki SS camp in occupied Poland. → Read More
Longtime Queens DA Richard Brown announces he will not seek re-election
Longtime Queens District Attorney Richard Brown announced Wednesday that he will not seek re-election. → Read More
Nearly 90% of New Yorkers busted for marijuana last year were minorities despite major drop in pot arrests
Minorities continue to take the brunt of NYPD pot arrests despite a massive drop in busts. In all, 89% of all New Yorkers arrested for smoking pot last year through Nov. 23 were either black or Hispanic while just 7% were white, according to the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice. → Read More