Criminal Justice Budget Misses The Mark

To view my comments on the Senate floor, see below.

On Wednesday, April 3rd, despite my objections on the Senate floor, the New York State Senate voted to pass the 2008-2009 criminal justice budget. Unfortunately, the budget that will be enacted for the upcoming fiscal year resorts to many of the misguided policies and priorities of the past several decades.  Among other things, the budget did not take steps to close the underused and very costly detention facilities across the state; and it did not do the right thing by investing more heavily in alternative to incarceration programs. 

We clearly have much more work to do in the months ahead to ensure that next year’s budget reflects a more responsible, effective and cost-efficient criminal justice system for New York State, and I look forward to working with the Governor and my colleagues in the Legislature to achieve reform.