THE FORTUNE SOCIETY UNVEILS 2022 LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES

The Fortune Society (Fortune) today unveiled its 2022 legislative priorities, calling on City and State lawmakers to remove discriminatory housing and other barriers for people with criminal records, expand access to services for people while they are incarcerated and when they come home, improve conditions inside jails and prisons, and expand legal protections for young people.

JoAnne Page, President and CEO of The Fortune Society, said, “For more than half a century, The Fortune Society has worked to provide people with justice involvement the tools, resources and support they need to live as successful, tax-paying, and contributing members of their communities. When people with criminal records can achieve stability for themselves and their families, our entire society benefits. Fortune’s legislative agenda, when enacted, will ensure people have access to needed services, remove stigma, and promote successful reentry. These barriers fall most heavily upon people of color, who have been disproportionately impacted by the criminal legal system. Removing these barriers is a matter of justice and equity. We look forward to working with our elected leaders in City Hall and the State Capitol to achieve these goals.”

The Fortune Society’s legislative priorities include:

Fair Chance for Housing Act.

The Fair Chance for Housing Act would make it an unlawful, discriminatory practice for most New York City housing providers to do criminal background checks. Currently, over half of the people released from state prisons to New York City end up in homeless shelters, creating a cycle of homelessness and instability that can prevent them from moving on with their lives.

Reentry from the Inside Out (RIO) S8064/A7340, New York State Legislature, Sponsored by Senator Cleare and Assembly Member Hevesi.

Reentry from the Inside Out (RIO) recognizes that “reentry” must start before people have been released from prison. RIO requires The Department of Corrections and Community Supervision to coordinate with social service agencies, the department of motor vehicles, and non-profits to assist with benefits applications prior to release; provide access to a range of reentry services before and after release, and provide state-issued identification cards to each individual upon their release.

Body Worn Cameras for Correctional Officers:

Body Worn Cameras for Correctional Officers legislation would require correctional officers to wear body cameras within New York State and City correctional facilities. The use of body worn cameras by police departments in New York State has become a well-accepted means of oversight, and they are being adopted in states and localities across the country in correctional institutions, as they can deter activities that make everyone in facilities unsafe.

Youth Justice and Opportunities Act S5749A/A3536A, New York State Legislature, Sponsored by Senator Myrie and Assembly Member O’Donnell.

The Youth Justice and Opportunities Act expands Youthful Offender status eligibility for people up to age 25 who face the threat of permanent criminal convictions and adult prison sentences. Young people’s development continues through their mid-twenties, and they should not face lifelong direct and collateral consequences, including a loss of future employment and access to stable housing, for mistakes made during maturation. Given that the vast majority of young people arrested in New York are Black and Latinx, this effort is also critical to advancing racial and economic justice.