Latest News

June 23, 2020

Buffalo News: Another Voice - "Buffalo needs fast, far-reaching police reforms"

By Sam Magavern | June 23, 2020 In 2016, Partnership for the Public Good and Open Buffalo published a comprehensive report on policing, titled “Collaboration, Communication, and Community-Building.” The report included detailed information about the city’s …

June 19, 2020

WBFO: "Can Buffalo overcome its racial inequities? The answer isn't black and white"

By Marian Hetherly | June 19, 2020 Demonstrations erupting locally and across the world sparked by George Floyd's killing have been begging for a resolution to the racial inequities between blacks and whites. Buffalo, itself, has sat near the top of most-segregated cities …

June 18, 2020

Message to Common Council: Eliminate 2018 Traffic Fees and Address Unequal Traffic Enforcement in Buffalo

The Fair Fines and Fees Coalition, Partnership for the Public Good, and the African American Health Equity Task Force sent a letter to the Common Council urging a repeal of 13 new fees related to traffic violations that the City of Buffalo added in 2018. A repeal of the fees is essential for …

June 9, 2020

Buffalo News: "Activists press for police reform: 'There's a justifiable anger'"

By Phil Fairbanks |  June 9, 2020 Early on, when protests turned to vandalism and injuries, it could have easily overshadowed the change protesters hoped George Floyd's death might bring about. But not for the activists knee deep in a yearslong effort to end police …

May 20, 2020

Buffalo News: "A Catch-22 when cops exist to serve and protect – and to ticket"

By Rod Watson | May 20, 2020 This is what it's like dealing with the Catch-22 of living in low- or moderate-income neighborhoods preyed on by thugs: You need more police protection, yet more police can mean more tickets that consume desperately needed money. It's the fiscal version of "stop …

May 19, 2020

Mapping COVID-19 Cases and Other Local Data

While COVID-19 has impacted our entire region, according to recent testing data, it is hitting some areas harder than others. According to national and local research, COVID-19 has also affected certain populations of people, such as black and African American populations, more severely than …

May 7, 2020

All Workers are Essential: Celebrating May Day in the Midst of a Pandemic

For many around the globe, May 1st, or May Day, is known as International Workers' Day or Labor Day. Historically, May Day was central to the movement that ultimately won the eight-hour work day. This year, perhaps more now than in recent decades, there is greater awareness across the U.S. of the …

May 7, 2020

Statement of Support for the Erie County Corrections Specialist Advisory Board's Call for Jail Releases

Partnership for the Public Good joins with the Erie County Corrections Specialist Advisory Board in calling for the release of prisoners from county jail facilities to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus.

May 6, 2020

Policy Solutions for COVID-19 Response and Recovery in Buffalo-Niagara

Unprecedented times call for unprecedented measures. On Thursday, April 30, Partnership for the Public Good and the Cornell ILR Buffalo Co-Lab, in collaboration with ANCHOR, hosted a Buffalo Commons Community Conversation on policy solutions for COVID-19 response and recovery. The discussion …

April 23, 2020

Free Legal Services and Advice Still Available During COVID-19 Crisis

Our partners at Volunteer Lawyers Project, Legal Aid Bureau of Buffalo, Center for Elder Law and Justice, Western New York Law Center, and Neighborhood Legal Services remain available for extensive legal services by phone. Please click through the image gallery below to learn about the available …

April 22, 2020

Recommendations for Erie County Jails to Reduce the Spread of COVID-19

Infectious disease can spread rapidly in jail settings. Because of the daily turnover in staff and inmates, outbreaks are not contained within the walls of the jail but can quickly affect the health of the whole community. The speed at which an outbreak can spread within jail settings is worse than …

April 17, 2020

The Marshall Project: "Court Is Closed Due to Coronavirus. But You Still Owe Those Fines and Fees"

Jalonda Hill, a community organizer in Buffalo, New York, who organized the Fair Fines + Fees Coalition there, points out that the communities with the highest rates of dying from COVID-19—low-income communities of color—are also those most affected by the previous recession’s …