A few highlights of her testimony, at the Joint Public Hearing on Public Protection (see live video of the hearing here):

• ATI/Reentry funding: Restore both the proposed 8% cut in Gov. Cuomo’s budget and the legislative adds from the from prior years. More, not less, ATI and reentry services are needed to address the needs of individuals who would otherwise be incarcerated as well as to effectively implement Rockefeller drug law reforms.
• Prisons: Support the governor’s proposal to close 10 prisons. Since 1999, as a result in significant part of the work of ATI, Reentry programs and Probation, the Department’s under-custody population has fallen by over 15,000 and is expected to continue declining this fiscal year. The savings from closing unneeded facilities could be reinvested in ATI, reentry and Probation, so the prison population will continue to decline.
• Reentry: Limit state agencies’ use of DCJS or OCA databases. One major barrier keeping qualified people with criminal records from becoming tax-paying citizens is the dissemination of rap sheets and arrest histories that contain incomplete or sealed information. We recommend that DCJS and OCA be prohibited from disclosing old, undisposed case information, and that no governmental entity other than OCA and DCJS should be allowed to provide arrest or criminal history records to employers.

In its leadership role in the coalition, LAC has been evaluating Governor Andrew Cuomo’s proposed budget since it was released last week, and advocating for adequate funds for critical ATI and reentry programs. Our preliminary analysis of the Cuomo budget plan identifies key changes in the areas of Criminal Justice, Drug and Alcohol and HIV/AIDS, including charts and commentary from the governor’s budget. We will continue to press for the best criminal justice policies for our state as we meet with Legislators and budget officials in the coming weeks.