NY Gov. Cuomo to seek out and pardon thousands of youthful offenders.

[pnwmom]

4. Apparently NY is not like most jurisdictions. It is one of only two states to treat 16 and 17

year old non-violent offenders as adults.

Mr. Cuomo had long been considered parsimonious when it came to clemency, issuing only nine pardons or commutations of sentences in nearly five years in office. But the plan unveiled on Sunday would significantly amplify that process; administration officials estimate that there is a backlog of some 10,000 New Yorkers who may qualify immediately for the governor’s pardons, with an additional 350 people becoming eligible each year as they pass 10 years without additional convictions.

The move, announced two months after Mr. Cuomo established a “clemency project” to review and assist potential applicants, was praised by advocates who have been lobbying to raise the age of criminal responsibility in New York, one of only two states to treat 16- and 17-year-olds as adults in criminal court.

The governor’s unusual effort — potentially granting mass clemency on a level rarely seen — comes as efforts to reform the state’s juvenile justice laws have met resistance in the Legislature; most states have raised the age of criminal responsibility after reviewing studies that showed people are often not psychologically mature until early adulthood. The pardon plan also comes amid a national debate over reducing sentences for nonviolent offenders, in part because of the cost of mass incarceration and concerns about racial inequality in the criminal justice system.

“We see this is a big step towards addressing collateral consequences,” said Melanie Hartzog, the executive director of the Children’s Defense Fund, which led a lobbying campaign last year to raise the age.