Relates to preferred source status for entities that provide employment to certain persons

• Democratic10
• Republican4

◆ The sponsor's argument

Why Jeremy Cooney says this is needed

People with disabilities are overrepresented at all stages of the crimi- nal justice system, from jail and prison to probation and parole. According to a February 2024 report by the Prison Population Initiative individuals in the prison population with disabilities is 40% as compared to 15% of the United States general population. For women those incarcerated with disabilities rises to 50%. While cognitive disabili- ties such as autism, Down syndrome, and learning disorders impact about 1/4 of incarcerated people, visual, hearing, and ambulatory disabilities are not uncommon, and individuals with these disabilities are often overlooked and subject to inhumane treatment. This legislation would help the formerly incarcerated, many of whom suffer from a disability, secure stabilizing employment opportunities. NYSID has a network of service providers that provide vocational and rehabilitative training to formerly incarcerated individuals. Allowing access to the preferred source program would allow those individuals employment opportunities at re-entry. NYSID could better capture indi- viduals with disabilities through expansion of its service/catchment to those who have been formerly incarcerated. NYSID currently works with non-profits that serve both individuals with disabilities and individuals that have been formerly incarcerated. Those agencies include but are not limited to Second Chance Opportunities (Albany), Osborne Associates (NYC), Good Will of NY (NYC), Good Will Finger Lakes (Rochester), and Peter Young Housing Industries (Albany). There are a host of other NFP's in the formerly incarcerated space that could become members of NYSID.

This is the sponsor's own case for the bill, quoted from their memorandum. It is not Agora's description of what the bill does.