ALBANY – We all like second chances, but license to murder?
State lawmakers are poised to pass controversial legislation to seal criminal records for the vast majority of offenses, both misdemeanor and felony, after former inmates have served their sentences.
Proponents say a "white ticket" would increase the workforce and give people a second chance years after serving their sentences, but critics scoff at the suggestion of helping convicted offenders at the expense of their victims and public safety in general.
The bill would require ex-convicts who have served their sentence, suspended sentence or suspended sentence to have their files sealed for three years after misdemeanor conviction and seven years after their felony conviction until they intervene on other offenses be found guilty.
"We are only on the technical changes that we are discussing. So we don't have the final version yet, but I support it conceptually," Gov. Kathy Hochul told reporters in New York on Wednesday.
"And I think we're going to do it before the end of the session," Hochul added, echoing comments made Wednesday in Albany by state Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins (D-Yonkers). and Speaker of Parliament Carl Heastie (D. -Bronx).
Persons convicted of sex offenses are expressly ineligible under the law , which has no impact on media coverage of past crimes.
The proposal would allow certain employers, such as law enforcement, courts, prosecutors, schools and even Uber, to access sealed records. DMV and government officials could also view criminal records when individuals applied for a driving-related job or for a gun license.
But some Republicans are appalled that crimes as serious as murder are covered by the law, which follows criticism of other progressive reforms in the face of rising crime.
"The Democrats' crime policy never ends. Second chances are important, but people have the right to make informed decisions," Assembly Minority Leader William Barclay (R-Fulton) said. "Clean Slate will be another victory for career criminals and another loss for public safety in New York City."
State Senator Mario Mattera (R-Smithtown) told the Post that Albany Democrats should balance their support for a "clean slate" against the suffering of crime victims and their families. "You know what? Maybe they really need to find and talk to those families and let them tell them how they're feeling and what they're going through," she said.
Rep. Michael Tannousis (D-Staten Island) noted that most employers can hire as many convicted felons as they wish without having to pass new legislation.
"Having the opportunity to change your life and work doesn't require a sealed criminal conviction. The claim that it is necessary to have that second chance is false," he said.
Business leaders and unions disagree that a "clean start" would give New York a competitive edge over other states in the face of high unemployment, especially as other states like California have passed similar laws in recent years.
"These are people who have paid off their debt to society," Paul Zuber, executive vice president of the New York State Business Council, said Wednesday at a rally on Capitol Hill.
"We asked these people to be good citizens: 'Be careful with your probation, be good when you're in prison.' Do the right things when you're out of them. Why are we excluding them from the labor market?
According to the Brennan Center for Justice, the research suggests sealing records would help an estimated 18,000 people reintegrate into society and help the state generate potential revenue of up to 7,000 pounds each year. Achieving $1 billion that could impact the entire economy.
But Hochul has already urged people to wait longer to seal their records, an attitude that condemned the proposal last year.
Things are very different this time, according to State Senator Zellnor Myrie (D-Brooklyn) and Congresswoman Catalina Cruz (D-Queens), who are supporting the bill in their respective chambers.
"That's never the closest thing to Clean Slate," Myrie said. "The unprecedented level of support has never risen like it is now. So … I'm cynically cautiously optimistic that we'll get there."
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