Social services for the wrongfully convicted.

A Local Law to amend the New York city charter, in relation to social services for the wrongfully convicted

As of October 2017, 2,110 individuals nationwide have been exonerated and released from prison. More than 10 percent of exonerations have come from New York State. Those New Yorkers spent an average of 9.18 years in prison for crimes they did not commit. Exonerees face many of the same hurdles as other released prisoners, including obtaining housing, employment and medical care. However, exonerees are often ineligible for reentry services that states provide to parolees and released prisoners. Wrongful convictions also take an economic and emotional toll on the families of the accused. Under New York State law, compensation for wrongful conviction and imprisonment does not include the provision of social services. This bill would require the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice (MOCJ) to coordinate with relevant City agencies to promote the availability of social services for wrongfully convicted individuals and their immediate family members. MOCJ would also be required to develop methods to increase the coordination of such social services, and provide outreach and education on the availability of such services for exonerees and their immediate family members.