October 2009 – September 2010.
Issued October 2010
New York State fully implemented changes to its drug laws on October 7, 2009. This report provides a preliminary update of the impact during the first year. More comprehensive reports will be issued in the coming months. The preliminary review shows that because of the drug law changes:
• Approximately 1,000 fewer people went to state prison in the past 12 months:
300 individuals avoided state prison due to the elimination of certain mandatory prison sentences. These offenders were sentenced to jail or probation. 700 offenders who would have been sentenced to prison were instead enrolled into court-monitored judicial diversion programs.
• 327 Class B offenders were resentenced and released from prison.
• The number of individuals judicially diverted to drug court has increased substantially, with 46% admitted into residential treatment and 54% admitted into outpatient treatment.
This report and other related reports are available at: http://wwwdev:84/drug-law-reform/index.html.
The Interim Report can also be downloaded by click on the link below:
NY Criminal Justice Interim Drug Law Reform Update Oct. 2010 (PDF)