At least four criminal justice reform bills have been on the table in 2026. Here’s where they stand
Several criminal justice reform bills previously reported by the AmNews earlier this year are moving closer to becoming law. Proponents spoke to the paper over the years about how this legislation would impact Black and Brown New Yorkers who are disproportionately impacted by the criminal legal system. The post At least four criminal justice reform bills have been on the table in 2026. Here’s where they stand appeared first on New York Amsterdam News.
Black News 
Several criminal justice reform bills previously reported by the AmNews earlier this year are moving closer to becoming law. Proponents spoke to the paper over the years about how this legislation would impact Black and Brown New Yorkers who are disproportionately impacted by the criminal legal system.
Over the past year, State Sen. Julia Salazar’s office reported to the paper how prisons denied visitors over erroneous scans. The lawmaker often attributed these false positives to screening machines picking up menstrual products and introduced the Tampons Aren’t Contraband Act, which passed both houses on June 4. The legislation will reach Gov. Kathy Hochul’s desk for a signature by the end of the year.
“State prisons are forcing women who are menstruating to remove their tampons or pads if they want to visit their incarcerated loved ones,” said Salazar in a statement. “This is a humiliating and discriminatory practice that essentially forces New Yorkers either to bleed through their clothes until they’re given an opportunity to use a menstrual product again, or forego visitation altogether.
“By passing the Tampons Aren’t Contraband Act, we can end this disturbing pattern of treating civilian visitors in a degrading way, while still prioritizing security in prisons and jails.”
Last month, the AmNews reported on the Challenging Wrongful Convictions Act’s return after Hochul vetoed the bill in 2023. The legislation would undo a landmark ruling preventing innocent people from overturning guilty pleas, which make up a majority of the state’s convictions, without DNA evidence. The new version recently passed the State Senate and will move to the Assembly.
“In New York, it’s far too easy to be wrongfully convicted and far too difficult to clear your name,” said lead sponsor State Sen. Zellnor Myrie in a statement. “The Challenging Wrongful Convictions Act will help exonerate more innocent New Yorkers who are caught up in our criminal legal system, while upholding the principles of fairness and true public safety. I’m grateful to my colleagues for supporting it today.”
Parole reform legislation became a key solution proposed by advocates as state prison deaths mount and safety conditions face increased scrutiny following the killings of Robert Brooks and Messiah Nantwi over the past year and a half.
Two specific pieces, Fair & Timely Parole and Elder Parole, now boast majority support in both the Senate and Assembly. They would offer older New Yorkers more chances to get in front of the board and mandate more rigorous reviews of parole-eligible individuals’ preparedness to reenter society. Proponents want them voted on ASAP.
“We will continue to fight for passage of the Fair & Timely Parole and Elder Parole bills and a fully-staffed parole board that values personal transformation and redemption over vengeance and perpetual punishment, along with sentencing reforms, the Rights Behind Bars bill, and more,” said Jose Saldaña, Release Aging People in Prison Campaign director. “Still, we cannot let our lawmakers get a pass — especially legislative leaders, who refused to let these bills be voted on.”
The post At least four criminal justice reform bills have been on the table in 2026. Here’s where they stand appeared first on New York Amsterdam News.
