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COMMUNITY SERVICE SOCIETYNEW YORK REENTRY ROUNDTABLE
ADDRESSING THE ISSUES FACED BY THE FORMERLYINCARCERATED AS
THEYRE-ENDTER THE COMMUNITY
Advocacy Day 2009 Legislative Proposals
INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................................
1EMPLOYMENT &RESTORATION OF RIGHTS
.............................................................................
2VOTING
RIGHTS......................................................................................................................
2SENTENCING...........................................................................................................................
2FAMILY
CONNECTIONS............................................................................................................
2HIGHER EDUCATION
...............................................................................................................
2
INTRODUCTION
The New York Reentry Roundtable was convened in 2006 by the
Community Service Society ofNew York (CSS), and now represents
dozens of participating organizations. The Roundtablegrew out of
recognition of the challenges facing residents of New York State
who return to theirfamilies and communities after incarceration, be
it a few months in county jail or decades in anupstate prison. Most
striking is the concentration of this population in a handful
ofneighborhoods in each city statewide. Led by CSS, The Fortune
Societys David RothenbergCenter for Public Policy, and The Bronx
Defenders, the Roundtable has organized two successfulReentry
Advocacy Days in 2007 and 2008. Advocacy Day provides an
opportunity for formerlyincarcerated people, family members,
service providers and allies to challenge systemic barriers tocivic
participation and economic opportunity faced by people with
conviction histories.
This is an exciting moment for criminal justice advocacy and
reform. We congratulate theLegislature and the Governor on passing
landmark reforms of the Rockefeller-era drug sentencinglaws earlier
this session. Championed by tens of thousands of New Yorkers,
including hundredsof Roundtable participants, the reforms are a
crucial step towards overhauling the failed systemsof the last
three decades and implementing more sensible, effective and just
drug policies. Theyalso carry the potential to save taxpayers
millions in costs of incarceration and recidivism. Intrying
economic times, the Legislature has also taken steps towards right
-sizing the statesswollen prison system.
The following proposals address other costly and ineffective
sentencing policies and counter-
productive obstacles faced by individuals who have had criminal
justice involvement. Adoptingthem would not only save money, but
would bring policies into line with the goal of sentencingadded to
the States Penal Law in 2006: Promotion of successful and
production reentry andreintegration into society. They are endorsed
by all the participating organizations and areconsistent with
recommendations of the New York State Bar Association, the
IndependentCommittee on Reentry & Employment, and the Coalition
for Criminal Justice Reforms Blueprintfor Criminal Justice
Reform.
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EMPLOYMENT &RESTORATION OF RIGHTS
We SupportRemoving the blanket prohibition on individuals with
criminal records working inestablishments with liquor licenses.
A.3770-A (Aubry)/S4686 (Hassell-Thompson)
We Supportcreation of a Certificate of Restoration with all the
same effects and functions of theexisting certificates: the
Certificate of Restoration overcomes automatic bars to voting,
employment, licensing, public housing, and any other civil
disabilities imposed as a result of acriminal conviction. A.4923-A
(Aubry)
We Supportthe Conditional Job Offer Bill, which prohibits
prospective employer from makingany inquiry about an applicants
criminal record until a conditional offer of employment has
beenmade contingent upon a satisfactory criminal background check.
A.5330(Aubry)
We Supporta path to sealing criminal convictions after a certain
number of years in thecommunity without subsequent convictions.
A.6065 (Lentol)/S.1708 (Sampson)
VOTING RIGHTS
We Supportincreasing the political participation and power of
racial and language minorities inNew York State, as well as
expanded avenues to civic participation for all New
Yorkers,including:
Extending the right to vote to individuals on parole, and
ensuring that every personwho is eligible has the opportunity to
register and vote. A.1414 (Wright)
Enactment of legislation which aims to remedy the U.S. Census
policy of countingindividuals where they are incarcerated instead
of in their home communities byadjusting, for redistricting
purposes, home districts of New York prisoners.
A.5946(Espaillat)/S.1633 (Schneiderman)
SENTENCING
We Supportextension of merit time release eligibility to
domestic violence survivors incarceratedfor committing violent
crimes. A.4516-C (Weinstein)
FAMILY CONNECTIONS
We Supportan amendment to the Family Court Act and the Domestic
Relations Law in relationto setting or modifying child support
obligations of incarcerated non-custodial parents so
thatincarceration is no longer defined as willful unemployment.
S.4684 (Hassell-Thompson)
HIGHER EDUCATION
We Supportpolicies that expand access to higher education for
individuals in prison and thosewho have returned home including
restoration of eligibility for the New York State TuitionAssistance
Program (TAP) to people in prison. 1
1 Developed and recommended by the Correctional Association, the
National H.I.R.E. Network, the David Rothenberg Center for
Public Policy of the Fortune Society, the Bard Prison
Initiative, and College & Community Fellowship.
