This is the first episode on a mini-series, specifically focusing on the fascinating and unique local government institution of New York City Hall. To kick things off, today we’re speaking to Mayor de Blasio’s recent appointee to lead the Office of Criminal Justice, Marcos Soler.

Marcos brings an incredible background to the role, drawing on extensive academic work as well as roles within local and Federal government. This informs an incredibly rich perspective.

However, the thing you will notice about Marcos is his intense focus on being the quietest voice in the room. His view is that progressive reform comes when we focus on listening first, before proferring solutions.

Today we talk about the challenges with gun violence and crime New York is facing since Covid began, the success the Office has had in engaging the community directly in solutions, and the reasons behind the backlog in the local jail system.