Statement on NYS Conceptual Budget Agreement

The Fortune Society calls upon the state legislature to hold the line and not modify New York State’s bail reform legislation. The conceptual budget agreement announced last night, which reportedly includes a significant change to our state’s bail laws, would only exacerbate existing racial disparities in our criminal legal system, unnecessarily increase our jail populations, and revisit damage upon our communities that reforms sought to undo.

There is no evidence that bail reform has made us less safe.  On the contrary, there is ample evidence that any period of pre-trial detention can have an adverse and counterproductive impact on people by subjecting them to the trauma of incarceration and often rendering them homeless, unemployed, and unable to support their families.  At Fortune, we know that there are many ways to ensure people return to court while they remain safely in the community, including, when appropriate, participation in alternative incarceration programs and other community-based services.  We urge the legislature to stand firm against rollbacks to our bail laws in the name of racial justice, equity and public safety.