Seven years ago, I wrote a column for this journal titled "How To Get Out of Jail (If You're Innocent)." Hundreds of prisoners have since written, all seeking to vacate their convictions. We took a handful of these cases, giving me a post-conviction window into our New York state criminal justice system.

From the perspective of this civil rights lawyer, the picture is not pretty. New York has serious, systemic problems that require systemic reform. Unless otherwise indicated, what follows are general observations, not references to any specific case.