Corrections/Criminal Justice Reform

Letter

Letter to the State Legislature: Recommendations for FY 2009-2010 Budget

Feb 02, 2009

This letter by CBC President Carol Kellermann to the State Legislature suggests two strategic directions to guide budget policy in FY2009-2010 and offers a roadmap to help steer a course that avoids harmful tax increases and makes spending better serve New Yorkers by offering reforms in five key areas: Medicaid, school aid, correctional facilities, public employee benefits, and programs like STAR and Empire Zones. These recommendations provide at least $3.1 billion in savings over the term of the financial plan.

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Op-Ed

Budget Busters

Aug 19, 2008

CBC President Carol Kellermann discusses Governor David Paterson's offer of a menu of more than $1 billion in savings proposals from which he challenged legislators to select $600 million worth when they convened in Albany for a special session. CBC maintains that while the Governor is right to press the Legislature, the State can save even more by eliminating ineffective and wasteful programs--without reducing public services, and provides several examples thereof.

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Press Release

Statement On Governor's Proposed Spending Cuts

Aug 11, 2008

CBC President Carol Kellermann issues a statement on Governor David Paterson’s proposed spending cuts, which would reduce New York State’s budget this year by more than $1 billion.

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Press Release

State Could Save $4.7 Billion Annually

Jul 31, 2008

In response to Governor David Paterson’s call to action on New York State spending, CBC releases a list of options that would generate more than $4 billion in annual savings for New York State.

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Letter

Letter to the State Legislature on 2008-2009 Budget

Feb 26, 2008

CBC releases its recommendations for legislative changes to the Executive Budget presented by Governor Eliot Spitzer. The five changes in this statement would make the budget better suited to the current, uncertain economic times, more effective in using precious tax resources to support essential public services, and more supportive of lowered local tax burdens.

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Press Release

2008-2009 State Budget

Feb 26, 2008

CBC releases a letter to New York State legislators recommending five changes to Governor Eliot Spitzer’s Executive Budget that would make it better suited to the current, uncertain, economic times, as well as more effective in using precious tax resources to support essential public services, and more supportive of lowered local tax burdens.

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Op-Ed

Overhaul Prisons to Cut Costs

Feb 19, 2008

One place where the State can extract savings is in its prison system, an option that this op-ed discusses. New York simply does not need all 69 of its correctional facilities. Some of those facilities are now more than half-empty, particularly at the medium- and minimum-security level. Two new maximum-security facilities -- Upstate in Malone and Five Points in Romulus -- have eased demand for beds at that level. Once-overcrowded facilities are simply not anymore.

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Press Release

Statement on Proposed Closure of Correctional Facilities

Jan 15, 2008

CBC supports the downsizing of the prison infrastructure in order to capture much needed budget savings. Facing a budget gap of $4.7 billion, and in light of other needs, State leaders need to take steps to identify and implement measures that will produce recurring savings.

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Testimony

Testimony for Town Hall Meeting on NYS Budget

Nov 28, 2007

This testimony addresses key challenges facing State leaders: Maintaining the commitments that have already been made, leaving capacity for future needs to be funded, and identifying and adopting measures to make spending more cost effective to yield much needed financial plan savings. CBC has recently completed a study of potential budgetary savings, and the good news is that at least $5 billion in savings can be generated annually without reducing State services.

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Presentation

Presentation at State Spending and Health Care Conference

Oct 17, 2007

This is an overview of the report focusing on the issue of more effective use of state fiscal resources. The report was prepared to inform discussion among the participants at the second of the three agenda setting conferences organized by CBC in the months of September, October and November 2007 to promote fiscal reform.

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