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���������� Note: With just under a month to go till legislative session’s end, a top Senate leader says that the Humane Alternatives to Long-Term (HALT) Solitary Confinement Act is the top criminal justice priority for the NYS Senate Democratic majority. There are enough votes in both houses to pass the bill and send it to Governor Cuomo.

Next Thursday May 30 is Mental Health Advocacy Day for the HALT bill. Representatives from state mental health advocacy groups will be joining state mental health committee chairs and HALT sponsors to emphasize the terrible mental impact of solitary confinement, HALT”s ban on its use for people with disabilities and to call for the bill’s prompt passage.

You can support those efforts by participating in a Wednesday May 29th HALT Call in Day. See next posting for details. Thank you!

Bail Reform Done, Lawmakers Look At More Criminal Justice Bills

Decreasing solitary confinement, parole reform among issues being considered.

By  City & State  MAY 23, 2019

     

The budget brought , and changed  and  to benefit criminal defendants. This month, ���������� passed a law that could allow  convicted of hurting their abusive partners. A bill  that would criminalize the creation and selling of untraceable, 3D-printed “ghost guns.” And advocates are pushing Gov. Andrew Cuomo to sign another bill that would , often used in building trades.

 

But there are still a number of criminal justice reforms that are being considered before the end of session.

 

HALT Solitary Confinement Act ( – Sepúlveda/ – Aubry)

This bill would place constraints on the use of solitary confinement in jails and prisons across the state, which is currently unlimited. It’s been pushed by reformers since 2013,  last year, and looks likely to pass both houses in this year of united Democratic government. State Senate Codes Committee Chairman Jamaal Bailey calling it the conference’s top criminal justice priority.

 

Repeal 50-a ( – Bailey/ – O’Donnell)

This bill would repeal the law  police, fire and emergency workers’ personnel records, which reformers say has hidden bad behavior by police and how departments deal with it. Debate has raged for years. The  of NYPD officer Daniel Pantaleo has gotten the issue more attention.

 

Special prosecutors for police killings of civilians ( – Bailey/ – Perry)

In 2015, Cuomo , which empowered the state Attorney General’s office to investigate any case of law enforcement killing an unarmed civilian. This bill would codify that into law and expand the AG’s jurisdiction to any case where a civilian dies during an encounter with law enforcement. Cuomo has , so something like it will pass, but reformers say the governor’s language .

 

Blue Lives Matter ( – Akshar/ – Abbate)

This bill would make attacking first responders like police officers a hate crime, and passed out of the Senate Codes Committee earlier this month. Criminal justice reformers are opposed, but it has earned some bipartisan support, and Cuomo supported  to increase penalties on assaults against journalists. despite its Republican sponsorship.

 

Criminal record relief for trafficking victims ( – Ramos/ – Gottfried)

This is one of a number of bills being considered to lessen the penalties of sex work, and the most likely become law. It would clear the criminal records of certain trafficking victims who were convicted of crimes like prostitution. It’s expected to pass the state Senate soon, but is still in the Assembly Codes Committee.

 

Police STAT Act ( – Hoylman/ – Lentol)

This bill would require police departments and court systems to provide detailed data on low-level arrests and the racial and geographic breakdown of people arrested. Criminal justice reformers say it would put , but police unions say the data would lack context, and  The bill passed the Assembly the last three years, but is one of the many bills that’s been edited and re-introduced now that the Democrats control both houses of the Legislature.

 

Parole reform

The Legislature is considering a variety of bills that would change the system of letting ����������ers out of prison. Cuomo , including “geriatric parole” to parole individuals over 55 with serious medical conditions. Some lawmakers and advocates want to  to any prisoner over 55. Also on the table are a bill that would make more prisoners  regardless of age and a bill to  of technical violations of parole.