Bill > A07099

This bill establishes the "Michael K. Williams law," which creates a decarceration grant program administered by the attorney general to incentivize counties to reduce prison populations. Counties can apply for grants by demonstrating their ability to collect and analyze criminal justice data, establish benchmarks for reducing incarceration, develop a strategic plan to decrease jail populations, set goals for reducing racial and ethnic incarceration disparities, and show that their crime rate has not increased significantly. Grant applicants must develop a public-facing plan detailing how they will reduce jail populations, and must consult with law enforcement, courts, public defenders, and community organizations. The grants come with strict conditions: funds cannot be used to build new jails, any financial savings must be reinvested in community-based efforts to reduce incarceration, and counties that fail to meet reduction goals for two consecutive years will have their grant terminated. The bill appropriates $7 million for the program, with each county allowed to submit only one application annually, and individual grants can be up to $350,000. The law is named after Michael K. Williams, an actor known for his advocacy for criminal justice reform, and is designed to encourage more effective and equitable approaches to addressing crime and incarceration.

Housing and Urban Affairs

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A7099