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With the state budget deadline approaching, Governor Hochul addresses plan to tweak bail reform laws

Published on March 23, 2023

Governor Hochul March 2023 Bail Reform

ALBANY, NY- With New York’s state budget deadline approaching quickly, Governor Kathy Hochul is re-addressing her plans to tweak bail reform laws.

She spoke on the matter during an address in Albany on Wednesday. "New Yorkers deserve a criminal justice system that prioritizes both safety and justice," she said.

"Protecting New Yorkers is my number one priority, which is why my budget proposal includes record-level investments and proven strategies to ensure my administration can do just that. We are working overtime to fight crime across our state and are moving in the right direction but won't stop until every New Yorker can live in safety."

Specifically, Hochul says she is working to clear up any misunderstandings over judges and their discretion on setting bail or even remanding individuals accused of serious crimes.

With the law’s current verbiage, there has been confusion for judges and their ability to make their own determination based on each individual case.

See New York's latest statewide crime data spreadsheet.

According to Hochul's office, key criminal justice system metrics have not rebounded to pre-pandemic levels in 2019, when New York State experienced an all-time low in reported crime after seven consecutive years of declines.

Misdemeanor and felony arrests increased in 2022 but are still tracking lower than numbers reported by police agencies from 2017 through 2019.

At the same time, the state's courts resolved fewer cases last year: 118,378 dispositions reported when compared to dispositions that occurred annually from 2017 through 2019. 

Governor Hochul's budget proposal doubles down on programs that have proven successful, investing $337 million: $110 million increase from FY 2023 budget, which contained the largest investment in public safety funding in a generation.

The FY 2024 proposal includes:     

  • $84.1 million for youth employment programs, of which $37 million is for programs in Gun Involved Violence Elimination (GIVE) jurisdictions.     
  • $70 million for communities to respond to the aftermath of gun violence, of which $50 million is for community capital needs.       
  • $36.4 million for the Gun Involved Elimination (GIVE) initiative.     
  • $31.1 million for crime reduction, youth justice, and gang prevention programs.     
  • $25.9 million for State Police Community Stabilization Units (CSUs), increasing the number of these units from 16 to 25.     
  • $25 million for the SNUG Street Outreach program.     
  • $18 million for the state-supported Crime Analysis Center network, including the establishment of a new center in New York City, bringing the number of centers statewide to 11.     

The Executive Budget proposal also includes significant funding to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the criminal justice system:  

  • $52 million in aid to prosecution funding for all 62 district attorneys' offices.     
  • $40 million to funding to support discovery reform implementation.     
  • $31.4 million for alternatives to incarceration programs.     
  • $20 million for pretrial services. 
  • $11.5 million for 20 County Re-entry Task Forces, which help individuals reintegrate to their communities after serving prison sentences.     

Image via the office of New York Governor Kathy Hochul. 

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