As the 2022 election year unfolds, inflation and immigration continue to dominate the concerns of voters.
However, the escalating crime rates are also emerging as a significant issue. Former President Donald Trump recently addressed this concern at a rally in the Bronx, where he presented his plan to restore safety in New York City. Similarly, Republican governors nationwide have been highlighting any reductions in crime rates within their jurisdictions. Yet, it appears that New York Governor Kathy Hochul is not on the same page. While her counterparts focus on crime reduction, Hochul seems to be taking a different approach, granting clemency to thirteen more individuals on Friday, many of whom were convicted of serious crimes, including drug dealing and murder.
According to Gothamist, Governor Hochul's recent clemency grants included several individuals convicted of drug crimes decades ago and two serving life sentences for murder. This move follows Hochul's 2021 promise to use her executive clemency powers on a rolling basis, rather than limiting pardons and commutations to the winter holiday season. Since assuming office, Hochul has granted clemency to 72 individuals, her office reports.
Currently, over 1,600 clemency applications are pending, with 1,184 for sentence commutations, including reduced prison time, and 472 for pardons. Criminal justice advocates have been urging Hochul to commute the sentences of more individuals still in prison.
Despite the rising crime rates and public outcry in New York City, Hochul continues to expedite the clemency process. She has even streamlined the state's clemency application website to hasten processing. Some of the individuals who received clemency on Friday had already completed their prison sentences. Hochul justified these grants, stating that some of them were facing "threats to their immigration status" due to their conviction records while being in the country on a visa.
In addition to the thirteen individuals, Hochul also advanced the parole board meeting dates for two prisoners. One is a convicted murderer serving a 75-year to life sentence for killing a cab driver and attempting to kill another person. The other is a 41-year-old serving a 25-year-to-life sentence for second-degree murder. Hochul justified these decisions, stating that the two men have demonstrated remorse and a commitment to rehabilitation.
However, this approach raises questions about the effectiveness of rehabilitation and the potential risks posed by these individuals once they are back on the streets. If rehabilitation fails and results in further crime, the responsibility will lie with Governor Hochul.
The "criminal justice reform" movement and the concept of defunding or reimagining the police seem to have lost momentum. The outcomes of these initiatives in cities across the country have been far from satisfactory. Yet, it appears that in New York, Democrats are reluctant to abandon these ideas, regardless of their efficacy. As the crime rates continue to rise, the question remains: Is this the message Governor Hochul wants to send to her constituents?
Login