Oneida Times

State Senator Joseph Griffo, along with his colleagues in the Senate Republican Conference, recently voiced opposition to two bills passed by Senate Democrats aimed at reforming the state's prison and parole systems. The pushback, coinciding with National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, reflects a broader commitment to prioritize crime victims over criminals.

The bill S.342 proposes to allow inmates to significantly reduce their sentences through good time and merit time allowances, with potential sentence reductions reaching up to 75 percent. This bill would apply regardless of the severity of the inmates’ offenses. A notable concern is the provision preventing revocation of merit time credits even if an inmate engages in misconduct while incarcerated.

Another piece of legislation, S.159, aims to reshape the parole process. It assumes an inmate should be released unless proven a current unreasonable risk to public safety by the Board of Parole. Critics fear this could result in a rise in parole approvals for inmates who may remain a threat.

Griffo, championing policies that favor victims and law-abiding citizens, also highlighted the necessity of expanding involuntary mental health commitments in light of recent tragic events in New York City, including violent acts by individuals with untreated mental health issues.

Griffo sponsored legislation, S.5094, requiring dangerous felony offenders to serve their full terms. This initiative gained momentum after the 2011 case in Utica, where an early-released offender, Robert Blainey, perpetrated a sexual assault and murder.

"One-party control of state government has resulted in policy after policy that prioritizes criminals over crime victims and law-abiding citizens," stated Griffo. "We need policies, bills, and initiatives that protect victims, support law enforcement, and enhance public safety in communities across the state. This includes a bill that I sponsor that would allow the state Parole Board to require a violent felony offender to serve their maximum term, if release would pose an imminent threat to society."