Bail uproar in may dim appetite for criminal justice reform

ALBANY, N.Y. >> Criminal justice reformers in New York were riding high last spring after the legislature passed an overhaul that eliminated cash bail for most nonviolent crimes.

But now, a backlash over the bail law may have diminished their chances of winning additional reforms on issues like parole eligibility, solitary confinement and police accountability.

Advocates who cheered the bail overhaul also find themselves on defense amid deep criticism from prosecutors and law enforcement officials, who say the new bail law has jeopardized public safety. Most of the concerns revolve around stories of some defendants being released under the new law, then committing new crimes.

Since the beginning of the year, uproar over the bail law has largely dominated conversations about criminal justice at the Capitol.

“That has made it difficult to talk about any other aspect of the criminal justice system that needs repairing,” said state Sen. Zellnor Myrie, a New York City Democrat.

A Siena College poll of 814 registered voters, surveyed two weeks ago, found declining support for the bail law among Democrats, Republicans and Independents. It found that 49% of poll respondents said the bail changes were bad for New York while 37% said they were good for the state.

State Sen. Julia Salazar, another New York City Democrat, said that while her own commitment to change is unshaken, the criticism over the bail law will lead to a “more muted” desire for additional reforms. Members of the party from moderate districts are facing serious backlash over the law, she said.

The wish list for reforms entering 2020 is still substantial.

Proposed legislation includes making it so prisoners cannot be held in solitary confinement for more than 15 days and mandating parole hearings for inmates who are over 55 years old and have served at least 15 years in prison even if they have not completed their minimum sentence.

Backers of the parole legislation argue that even people convicted of horrible crimes deserve a chance to prove they have reformed.

John Flanagan, the Republican state Senate minority leader, criticized that last proposal as especially bad and ill-timed.