State Initiatives: New York
New York, like virtually all other states, experienced a sharp increase in crime and the prison population from the 1970’s to the late 1990’s, but since that time New York is unique among the large states to have experienced both a substantial drop in its prison population and crime rate. Much of this has been attributed to the innovations in policing in New York City under then Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, including COMPStat, a method of data-driven policing that facilitates quick responses to hot spots and holding commanders accountable for results in their region. In fact, from 2000 to 2007, New York City’s reduced its violent crime rate by 64 percent and incarcerated 42 percent fewer offenders.i
In 1977, New York prisons housed 20,000 offenders; by 1999, there were 73,000.ii After 2000, however, New York began a year-by-year drop in its prisoner population, bucking the national trend of continued (though moderate) growth. By 2008, New York prisons held 60,000 inmates—a 16 percent fall from a decade earlier.iii
From 1965 through 1991, property crime in the United States and New York tracked closely together, each about doubling.iv After 1991, the property-crime rate fell both statewide and nationally, but more rapidly in New York. In 2008, the property-crime rate in New York (2,000 crimes per 100,000 residents) was 1.6 times lower than in America as a whole (3,200 per 100,000 residents).v The same pattern holds for violent crime. By 2008, the violent-crime rate was considerably lower in New York State (400 per 100,000) than in the United States (450 per 100,000).vi
In their budget recommendations to state lawmakers , The Empire Center for New York State Policy called for consolidating partly empty prisons, rather than keeping unneeded prisons open to avoid cutting government jobs, and expanding the use of alternatives to incarceration that cost-effectively reduce recidivism among nonviolent offenders.vii
i Marc A. Levin, “Thinking Outside the Cell: Ten Truths About Texas Criminal Justice,” Texas Public Policy Foundation, Sept. 2010, http://www.texaspolicy.com/pdf/2010-09-CEJ-PowerPoint-ml.pdf.
ii Bert Useem, “New York’s Prison Turnaround,” City Journal, Summer 2010, http://www.city-journal.org/2010/20_3_snd-ny-imprisonment-rates.html.
iii Ibid.
iv Ibid.
v Ibid.
vi Ibid.
vii “Blueprint for Better Budget: A Plan of Action for New York State,” Empire Center for New York State Policy, 4 Jan. 2010, 12 May 2010, http://www.empirecenter.org/Documents/PDF/Blueprint-Final17.pdf.
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Former Prisoners turned Entrepreneurs through Private Programs
Posted in New York, Parole and Re-Entry, Priority Issues, ROC Blog, State Initiatives, Texas: September 28, 2012 by Erin M. Blauvelt
Defy Ventures describes its program as “MBA-like training, real business plan competitions, and real money.” While such a program would likely grab the attention of many would-be-entrepreneurs, the unique thing about Defy is that their students are all former prisoners.
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A Right Way and A Wrong Way to Reduce Prison Populations
Posted in California, New York, Pennsylvania, Priority Issues, Prisons, ROC Blog, State Initiatives: July 10, 2012 by Jeanette Moll
Research has revealed that there is a right way and a wrong way to reduce the population of defendants and inmates who are securely confined: categorical releases are usually not the most effective approach, while targeted alternatives to incarceration for low-level offenders maintain the public safety…
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Community-Connected Probation
Posted in Adult Probation, New York, Priority Issues, ROC Blog, State Initiatives: June 22, 2012 by Jeanette Moll
New York City is attempting to create a more effective probation process and to move probationers through the system more expediently. By using “Neighborhood Opportunity Network” offices, or NeONs, New York City’s probation department is moving…
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Targeted Approaches to Juvenile Justice
Posted in Juvenile Justice, New York, Priority Issues, ROC Blog, State Initiatives: May 25, 2012 by Jeanette Moll
Unique circumstances sometimes underlie juvenile delinquency cases. In order to properly handle those cases and prevent further wrongdoing, targeted approaches can specifically address those underlying circumstances in ways traditional juvenile justice systems cannot.
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Jobs for Inmates In and Out of Prison
Posted in New York, Parole and Re-Entry, Priority Issues, ROC Blog, State Initiatives, Texas: April 5, 2012 by Jeanette Moll
For a prisoner exiting the corrections system, the ability to secure steady employment may determine whether he or she is able to successfully reenter society and begin a productive, law-abiding life. In Texas and New York…
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New York Approves Close-to-Home Care for Juvenile Offenders
Posted in Juvenile Justice, New York, Priority Issues, ROC Blog, State Initiatives: March 28, 2012 by Jeanette Moll
Late last night, the New York Senate, Assembly and Governor agreeed on the 2012-13 budget, which includes an innovative new juvenile justice program.
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James Q. Wilson’s Legacy
Posted in Law Enforcement, New York, Priority Issues, ROC Blog, State Initiatives: March 2, 2012 by Marc Levin
Today we lost James Q. Wilson, one of the nation’s most admired conservative intellectuals who developed the influential idea of broken windows policing that was associated with the dramatic crime drop in New York City under Mayor Rudy Giuliani.
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New York Governor Seeks to Realign Juvenile Justice
Posted in Juvenile Justice, New York, Priority Issues, ROC Blog, State Initiatives: January 18, 2012 by Jeanette Moll
Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York yesterday unveiled his budget plan to policymakers, and included significant juvenile justice reforms in the plan. After previously closing some of the state’s juvenile lockups due to their ineffectiveness, Governor Cuomo is now asking lawmakers to close additional facilities…
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Smarter Parole Rules in New York
Posted in New York, Parole and Re-Entry, Priority Issues, ROC Blog, State Initiatives: January 6, 2012 by Jeanette Moll
On January 1, new parole guidelines went into effect in New York. Rather than one-size-fits-all parole rules, New York will now begin classifying offenders by risk level and tailoring their supervision requirements accordingly.
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Rethinking “Juveniles” in New York
Posted in Juvenile Justice, New York, Priority Issues, ROC Blog, State Initiatives: October 12, 2011 by Jeanette Moll
A few weeks ago, Right on Crime wrote about the news of a statutory change in Mississippi, which required more 17-year-olds to be charged in juvenile courts rather than adult courts. Now, we hear that the state of New York is considering a similar change.
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