FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: media@vera.org

As the New York State legislative session comes to a close, without the passage of several critical public safety and immigration bills, the Vera Institute of Justice issued the following statements:

Alana Sivin, director of Greater Justice New York, a local initiative of the Vera Institute of Justice, said: We at the Vera Institute of Justice were heartened to see the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic, and Asian Legislative Caucus release the Robert Brooks Blueprint for Justice and Reform—a comprehensive package that charts a path to safety, accountability, rehabilitation, and justice within prisons. Named after Robert Brooks, a man who was murdered by corrections officers in December 2024, the blueprint included not just oversight bills, but also legislation that would change the culture behind bars and give people opportunities to be safely released from prison after demonstrating positive change: the Earned Time Act, the Second Look Act, Fair and Timely Parole, and Elder Parole. Instead of passing this essential package, legislators decided to advance an omnibus bill that contained no opportunities for people to earn release or to meaningfully prepare for release while behind bars.

Although we appreciate additional oversight and increased preventative measures, the exclusion of safe opportunities for release is morally indefensible and strategically shortsighted. When lawmakers pit the well-being of corrections professionals against the well-being of incarcerated people—or when they pretend that improving conditions for one does an injustice to the other—they miss crucial opportunities to make everyone's lives better. The health and safety of all people in correctional settings, whether they live or work there, are deeply intertwined. And voters are not looking for harsher punishments—they’re demanding real solutions for public safety. Our polling makes it clear: New Yorkers overwhelmingly prefer smart, comprehensive strategies over outdated “tough on crime” policies and rhetoric.

Looking ahead, lawmakers must stop surrendering to fear and deliver a bold, forward-thinking vision for public safety—one that’s rooted in safety, accountability, and justice. That means passing long-overdue sentencing and parole reforms.

Rosie Wang, program manager at the Vera Institute of Justice’s Advancing Universal Representation initiative, said: Unprecedented federal attacks on immigrant communities—using militarized immigration enforcement—are ripping families apart and disappearing people from their jobs and homes. At the same time, threats to the immigration legal system are undermining our democratic values, with people facing arrest for complying with their legal obligations. However, Albany’s leaders have failed to take any meaningful action to protect immigrant communities in the final weeks of the legislative session.

Lawmakers did not pass vital legislation—including the Access to Representation Act, the BUILD Act, New York for All, and Dignity Not Detention—which would have gone a long way to safeguard due process and keep our communities safe and strong. These policy solutions would have ensured that immigrant New Yorkers had access to counsel to defend their rights as they face detention and deportation, at a time when legal services providers are stretched beyond capacity. Passing this legislation would have also ensured that New York is not aiding in the federal targeting of our immigrant communities, which undermines public trust in state and local agencies. When people fear engaging with essential public institutions like schools, emergency services, and hospitals, everyone becomes less safe.

This inaction represents a fundamental failure to meet the urgency of the moment.

Abdicating responsibility to protect communities in danger will do nothing to deter federal attacks or promote due process and will harm all communities throughout the state. Lawmakers must show real leadership by permanently investing in immigration legal services and passing common-sense protections. We will not stop fighting until Albany meets its responsibility to stand up for all New Yorkers with action, not just words.