More justice now
Coalition for state reforms expands
ALBANY — A star-studded coalition of advocates says there's still plenty of work to be done when it comes to overhauling the state's criminal justice system.
Following significant pretrial reforms passed as part of the state budget, Van Jones' REFORM Alliance, co-founded by rapper Meek Mill and Philadelphia 76ers' co-owner Michael Rubin, is joining forces with New Yorkers United for Justice for an end-of-session push to get elected officials to focus on other issues, including parole reform, suppression of marijuana arrests and increasing the use of executive clemency.
News commentator Jones is a former adviser to President Barack Obama.
“We have solid momentum and will not stop until we achieve the fixed and fully transformed system that all New Yorkers deserve — one that continues to move towards decarceration while simultaneously delivering justice and safety,” said New Yorkers United for Justice chief strategist Khalil Cumberbatch.
Clemency is a personal issue for the Queens resident, who says his own path to redemption has led him to help others.
Cumberbatch was convicted of first-degree robbery in 2003. After serving seven years in prison, he was released and discharged from postrelease supervision in 2012. He quickly set his sights on helping others, earning his bachelor's and master's degrees and working with groups to aid those who struggle postincarceration.
Gov. Cuomo in 2014 pardoned the 37-year-old — a legal permanent resident who immigrated to the U.S. from Guyana when he was 4. Clemency from Cuomo helped prevent deportation proceedings.
Cumberbatch applauded the Legislature and governor for passing a slate of pretrial reforms as part of the state budget this year, including eliminating cash bail for most low-level crimes and expanding open discovery — requiring prosecutors to share material intended to be used at trial early — but said there are things that need to be done for those returning to society.
His organization's “priorities for the remainder of the session include incentivizing effective parole practices, expanding appropriate use of executive clemency to give deserving New Yorkers a second chance, and establishing access to expungement starting with marijuana reform and beyond,” Cumberbatch said.
“By advancing critical pretrial reforms, the governor and Legislature showed New Yorkers that addressing flaws in our criminal justice laws is a top priority. But there's more work to do.”
In addition to clemency, the coalition is pushing lawmakers as they consider legalizing recreational marijuana, including ending sentences and sealing and expunging the records of individuals incarcerated for marijuana-related offenses.
Parole violations are also a concern for the group. The reasons that most people are rearrested are often “technical violations” of parole, like missing a curfew, taking a sick parent to a doctor or leaving the state—not for committing another crime, the coalition says.
“When people come home from prison, they should be thrown a lifeline, not an anvil,” Jones said. “The present parole system is trapping and tricking people instead of helping them get on their way. The time has come for that to change.”