One of Governor Andrew Cuomo’s most laudable agenda items for 2016 is to “further New York’s status as a national leader in criminal justice and re-entry reforms.” He proposes expanding the use of alternatives to incarceration, increasing educational programming in prisons, and raising the age of criminal responsibility. Most recently added to the mix is a clemency initiative, the Governor’s Executive Clemency Bureau will screen applicants who meet designated criteria and send their files to volunteer organizations to oversee the preparation and submission of applications.
It is long overdue. Clemency in the form of commutation reduces an incarcerated person’s current sentence. In 2011-2014, not a single person had his or her sentence reduced in New York State.
