NY State Governor to Pardon Ex-Juvenile Offenders

New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo will issue conditional pardons to ex-juvenile offenders who have led adult law-abiding lives.

The pardons will be issued to people who were convicted for misdemeanors and non-violent felonies when they were 16 or 17. In order to apply for the pardons, the ex-felons must meet all of the criteria, which include having a conviction-free record for more than a decade. They will also have to pass a thorough vetting process.

State officials believe that about 10,000 people would be able to apply for the pardons. An additional 350 people every year would also become eligible.

Getting a pardon does not mean that one's record is completely cleared. Instead, a pardon will allow ex-felons the chance to fill out certain applications that they normally would be barred from due to their criminal background. Some of these applications include certain jobs, housing and security companies.

Cuomo said, while speaking with WNYC radio that the majority of the pardons will go to people who were involved in drug cases. He added that it is unfair to let mistakes, especially those that occur at a young age, haunt people for a lifetime.

"It's a way to help people get on with their life," said Cuomo said in a phone interview reported by the New York Times. "When you're young you can make a mistake, and maybe you don't have to carry the burden for your entire life."

The executive director for the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Norman Reimer, said in a statement, reported by Reuters, "It is a major step forward in the effort to combat the life-altering consequences of a criminal conviction and will serve as a model for governors throughout the nation."

The decision to allow ex-offenders to apply for pardons steams from Cuomo's "
Raise the Age Campaign" that aims to change New York's law of trying 16- and 17-year-old criminals as adults.

"This initiative is about validating the personal commitment of people who turned their lives around and rejected crime in exchange for being a contributing member of society," Cuomo said.

New York is one of two states that prosecute 16-year-old criminal defendants as adults. The other state is North Carolina.