Senator Gallivan Announces State Budget Includes Funding to Assist County with Mandated Expenses

Jim Ranney

April 14, 2017

Senator Patrick M. Gallivan (R-C-I, Elma) announces he has secured $180,000 for the Wyoming County Indigent Parolee Program in the 2017-2018 New York State Budget.  The funding will ensure that the program will continue to provide required defense services for parolees throughout Wyoming County.

"Communities with a high prison population, such as Wyoming County, face a huge financial burden in providing legal services and counsel to thousands of individuals going through the parole process,” Gallivan said.  “The Indigent Parolee Program helps to protect local governments and taxpayers while ensuring parolees receive required legal advice.” 

New York State law entitles poor people facing parole proceedings to court appointed counsel.  The Indigent Parolee Program reimburses the mandated expenses incurred by localities providing the service, especially those with prisons in their jurisdictions.

“We are grateful for the successful efforts of Senator Gallivan in securing the funding necessary to run what is a state mandated service for individuals who primarily are not county residents, but inmates at the two correctional facilities in Wyoming County,” said Norman Effman, Wyoming County Public Defender and Executive Director of the Wyoming County-Attica Legal Air Bureau.  “Without Senator Gallivan’s efforts, this would be another unfunded mandate on Wyoming County.  Because of his efforts, the state is rightly paying for a constitutionally mandated service that should be a state obligation.” 

Funding for the program is administered through the NYS Department of Criminal Justice Services.

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