NYS CoRR Platform Message     

NYS Coalition for Rehabilitation and Reentry

Expanded Work Release

Executive Order No. 9 bars from all temporary release, including work release, all those convicted of any of six categories of crimes, including many once-violent and since rehabilitated offenders
     

 
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Expanded Work Release  is one of twelve planks of the campaign of the NYS Coalition for Rehabilitation and Reentry, a coalition of over thirty-three justice advocacy groups spread across New York State. The following is drawn from the Coalition Platform Plank dealing with Work Release. (on the web at www.bestweb.net/~cureny/Co_platf_work_release.htm )  In the name of that coalition, I invite your consideration of the following, and how we can work further with you for its fulfillment.

A Problem. We’ve thoroughly trained our incarcerated persons, over 5, 10, or 20 years, to forget their self worth, how to communicate, how to cooperate, how to make decisions, how to find alternative ways, how to reach out to others, how to negotiate, etc. All those life skills have to be re-learned, through arduous practice.  If they’re not quickly restored, a quick return to frustration, anger, parole violations, crime, prison and more costs are likely.

Re-Integration. Work release can contribute substantially to gradual, personal re-growth and re-integration into society, and hence to reductions in recidivism. The gradual transition from  dependency in  prison to responsible freedom, through work release, is –for many– necessary for crime-free survival. 

The transition provided by work release is particularly necessary for once-violent offenders who have spent much time in prison. Many of these once-violent long-termers desperately need a transitional work release, and deserve careful  consideration.

The NYS Commission  on Sentencing Reform report dated October 15, 2007 "makes a series of recommendations intended to improve the likelihood of successful offender re-entry including: exploring the possible expansion of work release eligibility to include additional categories of inmates;..."

A combination of improved addiction treatment, expanded vocational training, and carefully selected, non-violent and once-violent individuals for work release can help to transform lives, reduce future crime, and reduce future costs.

Risk Assessment. Nine expert criminologists report in "Unlocking America," JFA Institute, Nov. 2007, that: Of the total arrests in 1994-97, only 5% were of prisoners released in 1994-97,  and only 1% were of released prisoners for violent crimes. Just 1.2 % of those who served time for homicide and were released in 1994 were re-arrested for a new homicide within three years of release; and just 2.5% of released rapists were arrested for another rape.

Modern risk assessment technologies can improve the probability that only those of less risk are granted work release. It clearly is unjust to automatically withhold work release from those who long ago were convicted of a violent crime. Today, a much narrower exclusion can be prudently designed.

I therefore urge your support for the FOLLOWING:                

• Work release facilities and the work release program should be expanded.
   
• The current limitations on work release should be further reduced, so as to allow participation by more incarcerated persons, including non-violent and some once-violent persons, who are ready for productive, law-abiding lives.
   
• The ban on work release should not necessarily exclude from work release all those convicted of a homicide. Many of these once-violent long-termers have spent many long years in prison, are now both older and wiser, and deserve careful  consideration, although they may have to demonstrate strong rehabilitation evidence. 
    
• Advanced risk assessment technology should be used to assess candidates, and to select work release for qualified individuals and so insure public safety.
   

DCJS Director Denise O'Donnell 
                             infoDCJS@dcjs.state.ny.us
DOCS Commissioner Brian Fischer ...
                            bfischer@docs.state.ny.us
DOCS Deputy for Programs  Kenneth Perlman
Parole Director George Alexander ...
                        galexander@parole.state.ny.us
Parole Exec. Director Felix Rosa ...
                              frosa@parole.state.ny.us

Senate: Crime Victims, Crime & Corrections Comm.
  Michael Nozzolio,     nozzolio@senate.state.ny.us
  Dale Volker   volker@senate.state.ny.us
  James Wright  wright@senate.state.ny.us
  George Maziarz    maziarz@senate.state.ny.us
  Eric Adams  eadams@senate.state.ny.us
  Carl Kruger  kruger@senate.state.ny.us
  V. Montgomery   montgome@senate.state.ny.us

Senate Codes Committee
  Dean Skelos  skelos@senate.state.ny.us
  Stephen Saland  saland@senate.state.ny.us
  Serphin Maltese  maltese@senate.state.ny.us
  John DeFrancisco  jdefranc@senate.state.ny.us
  Eric Schneiderman  schneide@senate.state.ny.us
  Thomas Duane    duane@senate.state.ny.us
  John Sampson sampson@senate.state.ny.us

Assembly Corrections Committee
  Jeffrion Aubry  aubryj@assembly.state.ny.us
  Harvey Weisenberg  weisenh@assembly.state.ny.us
  Keith Wright  wrightk@assembly.state.ny.us
  Feliz Ortiz ortizf@assembly.state.ny.us
  Tom O'Mara  omarat@assembly.state.ny.us

Assembly Codes Committee
  Joseph Lentol   lentolj@assembly.state.ny.us
  Robin Schimminger   schimmr@assembly.state.ny.us
  Mark Weprin  weprinm@assembly.state.ny.us 
  James Brennan  brennaj@assembly.state.ny.us
  David Townsend     townsed@assembly.state.ny.us