New York is facing a public safety crisis.

Now is your opportunity to fix that.

Felony assaults have hit a 25-year high and recidivism rates (the share of people arrested that commit another felony within 60 days) have more than doubled for many classes of crime. Governor Hochul is pushing for two critical reforms that will reverse these trends and make all New Yorkers safer:

1. Discovery Laws

Close loopholes in discovery laws that allow tens of thousands of criminal cases to be dismissed every year on technicalities. In 2023, 62% of criminal cases in NYC were thrown out, often resulting in guilty criminals and repeat offenders walking free. The Governor has included legislation to close these loopholes in the budget that she is negotiating with the state legislature right now.

2. Mental Health

Empower courts and medical professionals to intervene and make sure those suffering from severe mental illness get the care they need in secure facilities or treatment programs, not abandoned on the streets and subways of the city This reform is supported by nearly 9 in 10 New York voters.

We must fight for these critical reforms now to restore safety in New York. April 1 is the deadline to pass the Governor’s plan. Take action today by telling your representatives in Albany to support Governor Hochul’s proposed changes to discovery and mental health laws to keep our communities safe.

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  • New York faces a public safety crisis. There are two major contributing factors that we can fix now: legal loopholes created by the state’s current discovery laws and limitations that prevent courts and medical professionals from ensuring people with severe mental illness get the help they need and are kept in treatment until they are well enough for release.

  • Discovery laws dictate how and when prosecutors must share evidence with defense attorneys and what power judges have to advance criminal cases to trial. In 2019, New York legislators passed reforms that impose strict deadlines and excessive requirements on prosecutors and judges. While the goal was to create a fairer process, the result has been that criminal cases are being dismissed on technical grounds at much higher rates. There are fewer convictions, often no justice for crime victims, and less accountability for offenders. In 2023, there were 20,358 total dismissed criminal cases in New York City, including 6,003 felony cases, each representing a victim denied justice. The reason for these dismissals are rigid procedural rules that often make it impossible for prosecutors and judges to do their jobs effectively. 

    A letter from several victims' advocacy organizations highlights devastating cases where minor procedural lapses led to dismissals:

    • The case of a 67-year-old man who was charged with groping his much younger neighbor was thrown out simply because the prosecutor failed to submit an administrative report unrelated to the crime. This left the victim without an order of protection from her abuser and fearing for her safety.

    • A rape survivor endured nearly three years of legal proceedings, only to have their case dismissed over undisclosed text messages between her and law enforcement (a technicality that had no bearing on the incident itself).

    Not only are the current laws harming victims, but they are also allowing dangerous criminals to walk free, as evidenced by a rise in recidivism and felony assaults: 

    • Repeat offenders and other dangerous criminals are exploiting legal loopholes. Recidivism rates—the share of people arrested that commit another felony within 60 days—have doubled for many crimes:

      • Burglary recidivism: 21%, up from 8% in 2017. 

      • Grand larceny recidivism: 16%, up from 7% in 2017. 

      • Petit larceny recidivism: 17%, up from 9% in 2017. 

    • Felony assaults hit a 25-year high, with 29,417 reported cases in 2024—a 5% increase from the previous year.

  • Homelessness and untreated serious mental illness are very visible on our streets and subways. Too often troubled individuals go untreated, become progressively worse, and end up hurting themselves and others. Our current mental health laws do not allow medical professionals and judges to involuntarily commit these individuals to hospitalization or outpatient treatment, which could prevent their deterioration into criminal behavior. They cycle in and out of emergency rooms or jail, often with tragic results. 

    Governor Kathy Hochul’s proposed state-wide $1 billion mental health investment includes added capacity in psychiatric care centers and expanded community programs. But these investments will be of no use if seriously mentally ill people cannot be involuntarily committed to treatment, which is the case today for many.

    Unless lawmakers act now to support Hochul’s proposed changes to mental health laws, the system will continue to release sick people onto the streets and subways, making New York less safe and less fair. By doubling down on mental health care as part of public safety reform, we can prevent avoidable crimes, protect our communities, and help individuals in crisis get the treatment they need before it’s too late.

  • Governor Hochul’s proposed changes to New York’s discovery and mental health laws are a critical steps toward closing legal loopholes that harm victims, fail people who are too sick to help themselves, and let criminals walk free. Opponents to changes in the laws argue that the rights of defendants accused of crimes and seriously mentally ill people will be compromised by these changes in the law. But respected civil rights advocates and medical professionals such as, Rev. Al Sharpton, Attorney General Letitia James, and Dr. Mitchell Katz, M.D., CEO of the NYC Health & Hospitals Corporation support the Governor’s position. Even with the proposed changes, New York’s discovery and mental health laws will still be the fairest and most progressive in the country.

    That’s why we need you to take action: Urge your state lawmakers to support Governor Hochul’s proposed reforms to New York’s discovery and mental health laws. New Yorkers deserve to live in safe communities where the legal system works for them, not against them.

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