Action Alert! Tell Legislators to Restore ATI/Reentry Funding, Close Prisons

MESSAGE TO LEGISLATORS:

Entirely restore the proposed 8% cut to ATI, reentry and probation -- and as much as possible of the legislative adds from prior years -- to enable the state to continue reducing crime and saving taxpayer dollars, and close unneeded prisons as proposed by Governor Andrew Cuomo.

BACKGROUND:

Since 1999, as a result in significant part of the work of ATI/reentry programs and probation, the state's incarcerated population has fallen by over 15,000, or 21%. Now, the governor's budget estimates that there are at least 3,500 excess beds in medium- and minimum-security facilities and proposes closing 10 prisons. We strongly support this plan, and we also urge the Legislature to maintain funding for ATI, reentry programs and probation so the prison population will continue to decline, and to reinvest savings from additional prison reductions in funding these critically important programs.

In the past two years ATI and reentry programs have experienced not just the nearly 20% in across-the-board cuts experienced by the criminal justice system as a whole, but also the loss of millions of dollars added with legislative support. In the last budget season, the governor -- recognizing the crucial role played by the ATI and reentry system and the grave risk to their survival -- came to the rescue by allocating, with support from the Legislature, more than $1.5 million to ATI and reentry programs; we are most grateful for this support. However, this funding was not enough to restore all services.

The current proposed cut to ATI and Reentry programs should not be implemented at all given that more, not less, ATI and reentry services are needed to address the needs of individuals who would otherwise be incarcerated -- and to effectively implement Rockefeller drug law reforms.

ACTION:

Please encourage your clients and their families, staff, board members and colleagues in your criminal justice work to call the governor, legislative leaders, public protection committee chairs and their own Assembly member and senator (governor at 518-474-8390; Assembly at 518-455-4100; Senate at 518-455-2800). Ask these officials to restore funding to ATI and reentry programs, which are essential to public safety and savings, and to close unneeded prisons.