New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced today that approximately 10,000 state residents convicted of a crime when they were minors could be eligible for a pardon. Cuomo said he was looking to pardon individuals convicted of a misdemeanor or non-violent felony when they were 16 or 17 years old, as long as they have gone 10 years without being convicted of any other crimes.
"It's a way to help people get on with their life," Cuomo told the New York Times, noting the plan would reward individuals for good behavior and offer them a chance at redemption. "When you're young you can make a mistake, and maybe you don't have to carry the burden for your entire life."
According to the governor's office, that should amount to approximately 350 individuals annually, and residents can apply for a pardon on the state government's website, according to DNAinfo.
Cuomo underscored the point that strict laws and punishment have not necessarily ended the state's problems when it comes to crime prevention.
"We spent all of these years believing that if we punished every offender enough without any relief in the future, every crime would disappear," said Cuomo in a statement, reported CBS New York. "What we ultimately did was give a life sentence of stigmatization to kids who made a mistake and drive more people towards crime, because society told them for the rest of their lives that that's what they were — criminals. This initiative is about validating the personal commitment of people who turned their lives around and rejected crime in exchange for being a contributing member of society."
Because criminal records, even for low-level offenses, are frequently barriers to employment, housing and other services, the plan is meant to have a rejuvenating effect for individuals and the communities and economies in which they live.
"This initiative is about validating the personal commitment of people who turned their lives around and rejected crime in exchange for being a contributing member of society," said Cuomo, according to Reuters.
