NYCLU on Bail Reform Rollbacks in the New York State Budget

ALBANY – Last night, Governor Hochul and the State Legislature reportedly reached a handshake deal on the state budget for FY 2024. For the third year in a row, the budget appears to include rollbacks to bail reform.

The following statement is attributable to New York Civil Liberties Union Policy Counsel Jared Trujillo:

“With the bail reform rollbacks reportedly included in this year’s budget, the Governor has prioritized fear over facts. If true, this is another backslide on justice that will cause even more New Yorkers to languish in jail while they await their day in court. This is unconscionable and anti-democratic. Lawmakers must continue holding the line against these proposed rollbacks.

“Bail reform has saved jobs, kept families together, and protected people’s health and lives. In spite of a relentless campaign of fearmongering and political gamesmanship, data shows that bail reform is not linked to an increase in violent crime. Not only does detaining legally innocent people not improve community safety, it costs New Yorkers and their families their housing, employment, and treatment programs.

“We must break the cycle of retreating from what is right and reversing landmark civil rights progress year after year. Lawmakers must protect criminal legal system reforms, listen to communities impacted by mass incarceration, and invest in initiatives and supports that prevent violence from happening in the first place. Access to housing, employment assistance, expanded mental health care and treatment resources, and violence interruption programs are the answer: ensnaring more New Yorkers in our criminal legal system is not.”