Public Advocate, Jumaane D. Williams Offi ce of Public Advocate
Caribbean Life, MAY 7-13, 2021 3
By Tangerine Clarke
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, in a
May 4 release announced, as of May
17, the MTA will resume full 24-hour
subway service, and will continue
its unprecedented disinfection and
cleaning effort.
“As we continue our progress
against COVID-19 in New York, we’re
able to take additional steps to reopen
our economy and help businesses and
workers.”
The resumption of 24-hour service
will coincide with the lifting of the 12
am food and beverage service curfew
for outdoor dining areas, said the
release, noting that COVID hospitalizations
are at 2,539.
Of the 113,139 tests reported yesterday,
2,200, or 1.94 percent, were
positive. The seven-day average positivity
rate was 1.79 percent. There
were 613 patients in ICU yesterday,
down 24 from the previous day. Of
them, 379 are intubated. Sadly, we
lost 37 New Yorkers to the virus.
Event venues can expand capacity
starting May 19. Large-scale indoor
event venues will operate at 30 percent
capacity. Large-scale outdoor
event venues will operate at 33 percent.
Social distancing, masks, and
other applicable health protocols will
still apply, including the requirement
that attendees have proof of full vaccination
or a recent negative COVID-
19 test result.
“We will expand residential gathering
limits. The outdoor residential
gathering limits of 25 people
will be removed on May 19, and the
indoor residential gathering limit will
increase from 10 to 50 people,” said
the governor’s office.
“As we continue our progress
against COVID-19 in New York, we’re
able to take additional steps to reopen
our economy and help businesses and
workers.”
By Nelson A. King
New York City Public Advocate,
Jumaane D. Williams on Wednesday
welcomed Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s signing
into law legislation that restores voting
rights of formerly convicted felons on
release from prison.
“While states across the country
attempt to further restrict access to the
ballot, New York is progressing, reversing
its history of antiquated voting laws,
thanks to years of dedicated work by
advocates and affected communities,”
said Williams.
“The state legislature passing this bill,
and the Governor ultimately signing it,
are crucial steps in that movement,” he
added. “Automatically restoring voting
rights to formerly incarcerated individuals
will be enormously consequential for
thousands of New Yorkers now able to
more fully participate in and determine
the direction of their communities.
“This law also aids in informing newly
eligible people that their rights have
been restored, educating and empowering
would-be voters,” Williams continued.
But he said: “It’s not enough to catch
up, however. We need to advance – to
extend voting rights to incarcerated
New Yorkers, as states like Vermont and
Maine already have, and provide greater
access to the ballot to people inside prisons
and jails pretrial.
“While politicians across the country
are engaged in a systematic effort to
limit the voice and voting power of communities
of more color, we must do all
we can in New York to end a pattern of
over-incarceration and underrepresentation,”
the New York Public Advocate
stressed.
The measure, which the state Legislature
passed in mid-April, immediately
restores voting rights when people are
released from prison, even if they are
on parole.
Before conviction and sentencing,
criminal defendants are informed that
they will lose their voting rights.
New York Democratic Assembly Member,
Daniel O’Donnell, who sponsored
the legislation in the State Assembly,
said he was proud “that this legislation
removes one more barrier to equal representation
in our state.
“Studies show that when people on
parole know that they deserve to participate
in government, they feel more connected
to the community and are more
likely to reintegrate into society successfully,”
said O’Donnell in a statement.
“Together, we have helped New York
realize a principle that our segregationera
laws have sought to deny: every citizen
has equal worth and deserves the
right to vote,” he added.
The legislation restores voting rights
to parolees, to facilitate community
reintegration and participation in the
civic process, rather
than requiring a parolee to wait until
he or she has been discharged from
parole or reached the maximum expiration
date of the sentence.
Section one of the bill amends subdivision
two of section 5-106 of the
Election Law to restore voting rights to
individuals who have been
released to community supervision
from New York state sentences imposed
as a result of New York felony convictions.
Election Law 5-106(2) bars a person
convicted of a New York felony from voting
or registering to vote, and also, as
currently drafted, restores voting rights
when the person is either discharged
from parole or reaches the maximum
expiration date of his or her sentence.
The legislation now restores voting
rights while the person is serving the
community supervision portion of the
sentence, so that he or she can exercise
the civic responsibility of voting.
In April, the State Senate passed legislation
(S.261) sponsored by State Sen.
Zellnor Y. Myrie (D-Central Brooklyn) to
allow the New York State Department of
Corrections and Community Supervision
to consider higher education credit
earned by an incarcerated New Yorker
as grounds for “merit time” reductions
in sentences.
The legislation would permit certain
individuals to be considered for parole
early based on this expanded definition
of “merit time.”
“Today’s vote in the Senate underscores
the growing awareness that our
criminal legal system has, for too long,
emphasized punishment instead of
rehabilitation,” said Myrie, who represents
the 20th Senatorial District.
“This bill creates an incentive for
incarcerated New Yorkers to enroll in
college-level programs, develop job
skills and prepare for a successful reentry,”
he added. “I’m grateful to my
colleagues for advancing this important
step toward restorative justice, and to
Assembly Member Harvey Epstein for
sponsoring this bill in the Assembly.”
Currently, Myrie, whose grandmother
hailed from Jamaica, said merit time
allowances can be granted to incarcerated
individuals who successfully participate
in work and treatment programs
assigned to them, along with those who
earn a GED, complete vocational training
or participate in approved community
service.
He said the legislation expands the
merit time criteria by including collegelevel
credits as grounds for individuals
who have been convicted of nonviolent
offenses to demonstrate their rehabilitation.
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo. Craig
Ruttle / Pool via REUTERS
Williams hails restoration of
voting rights of ex-convicts
Gov. Cuomo
announces
major
reopening