NY State Bar Association Says any Discussion of Bail Reform Should Be Removed From the Budget
2.3.2023
Sherry Levin Wallach, president of the New York State Bar Association, issued the following statement about Gov. Kathy Hochul’s proposed changes to bail reform in her 2023-24 executive budget:
“We are deeply concerned by the rollbacks in bail reform that Gov. Kathy Hochul has put in the state budget; it is a significant policy matter that requires a full and fair debate. It is critical that the law is not changed in a manner that will result in more New Yorkers – particularly Black and brown people – incarcerated for longer periods of time for offenses simply because they are too poor to afford bail.
“In the budget process, history has proven there is a significant risk of this issue not getting the attention it deserves. Debating bail reform as a stand-alone matter on its own merits would give lawmakers, interest groups, and members of the public sufficient time to think the issue through and consider all the possible consequences.”
