Skip to Main Content
New York University's independent student newspaper, established in 1973.

Washington Square News

New York University's independent student newspaper, established in 1973.

Washington Square News

New York University's independent student newspaper, established in 1973.

Washington Square News

Three people wearing purple graduation gowns and black graduation caps are standing raising diplomas. To the left is former N.Y.U. president standing behind a purple-and-white N.Y.U. sign.

Opinion: No longer behind bars, but not truly free

Without support systems in place, many formerly incarcerated individuals in New York risk falling into a cycle of poverty and criminalization.
Steven Wang, Staff Writer December 3, 2024

The United States has the highest incarceration rate of any country in the world, keeping about 2 million people behind bars at any given time and costing an absurd $182 billion...

College Republicans president Gianna Guzzo (left), a Steinhardt senior, debated with College Democrats president Elina Rodriguez (right), a CAS sophomore, during the NYU Interclub Politics Society Debate on Dec. 1. (Staff Photo by Kristian Burt)

NYU Dems and Republicans debate prisons, education, drugs

Representatives of the two campus organizations clashed on drug decriminalization, prison policy and higher education funding at the NYU Politics Society debate.
Kristian Burt, Deputy News Editor December 3, 2021

At a debate hosted by the NYU Politics Society on Wednesday, NYU’s College Democrats and College Republicans faced off over for-profit prisons, higher education funding and drug...

Don’t Try Children as Adults

Don’t Try Children as Adults

The boys charged with the murder of Tessa Majors, like every other child indicted with a serious crime, should be tried in juvenile court.
Emily Dai, Deputy Opinion Editor March 2, 2020

On Dec. 11 of last year, 18-year old Tessa Majors was fatally stabbed while on an early evening walk through a park near campus. Majors had recently moved to New York from Charlottesville,...

The Case for Prison Abolition

Read one writer’s take on the recent incident at MDC Brooklyn and what it says about the criminal justice system as a whole.
Cole Stallone, Deputy Opinion Editor February 6, 2019

In the midst of New York’s frigid weather last weekend, Metropolitan Detention Center Brooklyn, a pre-trial federal detention center for low-level offenders, lost power and heating....

The Petey Greene program offers educational programs to prisoners who have been deprived of it in correctional facilities. Brandon Crispin has been a volunteer tutor with the Petey Greene program for about a year.

Petey Greene: Education as Rehabilitation

Chelsey Sanchez, Digital Director October 2, 2017
NYU students who take part in the Petey Greene program provide much needed tutoring to students in correctional facilities.