[NYAPRS Enews] ***SPAM*** Alert: Help Individuals w Minor Past Criminal Justice Involvement to Get an Apt. and a Job!

[Harvey Rosenthal]

NYAPRS Note: Currently, individuals who have demonstrated their rehabilitation and job-readiness can never escape their past no matter how long ago or minor their criminal justice involvement. NYAPRS and a broad coalition of mental health providers and consumer advocacy organizations are calling for the passage of legislation (S.8118 by Gallivan/A.10710 by Lentol) to help individuals with criminal history involvement to become productive members of society by allowing certain convictions before 1991 to be sealed, and by fixing errors on rap sheets.

Currently, individuals who have demonstrated their rehabilitation and job-readiness can never escape their past no matter how long ago or minor their criminal justice involvement. This bill represents a significant step forward in helping New Yorkers to overcome barriers they face as a result of criminal justice involvement.

Over 90 percent of employers conduct criminal history checks on all or some employees, and landlords are increasingly relying on background checks as well.  These criminal history checks report convictions no matter how long ago they occurred or how minor the offense.  The reports are also often rife with errors.

This bill will help individuals to be fairly considered for employment and housing by allowing certain, old convictions to be sealed and addressing two common errors on criminal records -missing information on the final outcome of a cases and the failure to seal cases that occurred prior to 1991 that resulted in a dismissal or a violation conviction.

This measure will prove of special benefit to New Yorkers with mental health conditions, who make up a disproportionately high percentage of those incarcerated in prisons and jails.


Please support this measure now as session will end tomorrow!



Please call 518-455-2800 now for Senate leaders John Flanagan and Donald Klein and your state Senator:

"I'm a registered voter from (your locality) urging you to pass S.8118 to allow New Yorkers with certain past convictions to move ahead with their lives, housing and employment"



Please call 518-455-2800 now for Senate leaders John Flanagan and Donald Klein and your state Senator:

"I'm a registered voter from (your locality) urging you to pass A.10710 to allow New Yorkers with certain past convictions to move ahead with their lives, housing and employment"





To find out who your Senator is, enter your address at:

https://www.nysenate.gov/find-my-senator.  Call the Senate switchboard at (518) 455-2800 and ask to be connected to your Senator's office.



To find out who your Assemblymember is, enter your address at:

http://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/search/. Call the switchboard at (518) 455-4100 and ask to be connected to your Assemblymember's office.



Thank you!

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