Up to 10,000 New Yrokers could be pardoned for nonviolent crimes they were convicted of as teenagers, on condition that they have since lived law-abiding lives.
The initiative does not remove convictions off records. Instead Cuomo’s move would provide those who qualify with paperwork, certification and legal help to show to potential employers, landlords and government agencies who might regard a conviction as cause to deny jobs, housing or access to services.
“It’s a way to help people get on with their life,” Cuomo said in a Sunday interview with the New York Times.
He has outlined that ex-offenders must have lived 10 year without any further convictions, be employed, looking for work or enrolled in school.
Those convicted of sex crimes are not eligible.
Cuomo’s plan is part of a broader clemency project his office unveiled in October, when the governor commuted the sentences of two drug offenders, calling it “a critical step toward a more just, more fair, and more compassionate New York.”
Cuomo’s new plan was enacted by executive order. “You do what you can with the powers you have,” Cuomo said. “This is within my power.”
Read More: Governor Cuomo Offers Executive Pardons to New Yorkers Convicted of Crimes at Ages 16 and 17 & Cuomo Moves to Pardon Former Youthful Offenders
