NEW YORK STATE BAR ASSOCIATION ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ “RE-ENTRY AND REINTEGRATION: THE ROAD TO PUBLIC SAFETY” Report and Recommendations of the Special Committee on Collateral Consequences of Criminal Proceedings ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Albany, New York May 2006 The Special Committee is solely responsible for the contents of this report. This report is not the official position of the Association unless and until adopted in whole or in part by the House of Delegates of the Association. MISSION STATEMENT NYSBA Special Committee on Collateral Consequences of Criminal Proceedings The legal disabilities and social exclusions resulting from adverse encounters with the criminal justice system often erect formidable societal barriers for criminal defendants, people with criminal records, those returning to their communities after incarceration, and their families. These consequences are far-reaching, often unforeseen, and sometimes counterproductive. The Special Committee is charged with studying the effects these collateral punishments have on New York residents who have been arrested or charged with a criminal offense, whether convicted or not, and the consequences of these punishments on their families, their communities and our society in general. The Special Committee shall identify all of the collateral consequences of criminal proceedings; the original purpose and intent of these often hidden sanctions; their usefulness as a societal sanction; and their impact on the ability of formerly incarcerated persons to reintegrate successfully into society. This examination shall include, but not be limited to, consequences involving education, employment, disenfranchisement, immigration status, housing, and family reunification. The Special Committee also shall analyze the role played by each criminal justice stakeholder – including the prosecution, the defense, the judiciary, the legislature, civil legal services, probation, and parole – in the imposition of these sanctions, as well as the role of each in counseling defendants about the full consequences of criminal proceedings and assisting in the appropriate mitigation of such consequences. The Special Committee shall prepare a report recommending any appropriate reforms, both by statute and by practice, to the Executive Committee and the House of Delegates. RE-ENTRY AND REINTEGRATION: THE ROAD TO PUBLIC SAFETY Report and Recommendations of the Special Committee on Collateral Consequences of Criminal Proceedings TABLE OF CONTENTS – OVERVIEW Page Mission Statement....................................................................................................................... i Table of Contents – Overview.................................................................................................... ii Table of Contents – Detail..........................................................................................................iv INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .......................................................................................................17 REPORT...................................................................................................................................43 I. BACKGROUND...........................................................................................................43 II. EMPLOYMENT ...........................................................................................................59 III. EDUCATION .............................................................................................................107 IV. BENEFITS..................................................................................................................133 V. FINANCIAL CONSEQUENCES................................................................................163 VI. HOUSING...................................................................................................................215 VII. FAMILY .....................................................................................................................263 VIII. CIVIC PARTICIPATION ...........................................................................................299 IX. IMMIGRATION .........................................................................................................325 RECOMMENDATIONS ........................................................................................................379 I. INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................379 II. OVERARCHING........................................................................................................389 III. EMPLOYMENT .........................................................................................................399 IV. EDUCATION .............................................................................................................405 V. BENEFITS..................................................................................................................411 VI. FINANCIAL CONSEQUENCES................................................................................415 VII. HOUSING...................................................................................................................419 ii Table of Contents - Overview VIII. FAMILY .....................................................................................................................423 IX. CIVIC PARTICIPATION ...........................................................................................433 X. IMMIGRATION .........................................................................................................439 CONCLUSION.......................................................................................................................443 APPENDIX: MEDICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES....................................................1 GLOSSARY .............................................................................................................................25 iii RE-ENTRY AND REINTEGRATION: THE ROAD TO PUBLIC SAFETY Report and Recommendations of the Special Committee on Collateral Consequences of Criminal Proceedings TABLE OF CONTENTS – DETAIL Page Mission Statement....................................................................................................................... i Table of Contents – Overview.................................................................................................... ii Table of Contents – Detail..........................................................................................................iv INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................1 A. MAGNITUDE OF THOSE DIRECTLY AFFECTED ........................................................2 B. CONSIDERING RE-ENTRY AND RECIDIVISM............................................................4 C. FORMATION OF THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE..............................................................7 D. WORK OF THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ......................................................................8 E. MEMBERS OF THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE...............................................................10 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .......................................................................................................17 A. REPORT ..............................................................................................................17 1. Employment...........................................................................................17 2. Education ...............................................................................................19 3. Benefits ..................................................................................................22 4. Financial Penalties..................................................................................26 5. Housing..................................................................................................29 6. Family....................................................................................................31 7. Civic Participation..................................................................................35 8. Immigration............................................................................................37 B. RECOMMENDATIONS...........................................................................................38 1. Overarching............................................................................................38 2. Employment...........................................................................................39 3. Education ...............................................................................................39 iv Table of Contents - Detail 4. Benefits ..................................................................................................40 5. Financial Consequences..........................................................................40 6. Housing..................................................................................................40 7. Family....................................................................................................41 8. Civic Participation..................................................................................41