ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - Gov. Andrew Cuomo pardoned 101 New Yorkers who committed nonviolent crimes as 16- and 17-year-olds Friday in an effort to help them overcome the stigma of conviction and give them a “second chance to live up to their full potential.”
Those receiving pardons have had clean records for at least 10 years. The pardons may be withdrawn if they reoffend.
“These New Yorkers have spent at least a decade proving their rehabilitation,” said Cuomo, a Democrat. “…With these actions, we have taken one more step toward a more just, more fair and more compassionate New York for all.”
Last year Cuomo announced plans to issue conditional pardons for 10,000 former nonviolent juvenile offenders. The pardons announced Friday are the first round.
Cuomo also voiced his continued support for legislation that would end the state’s practice of prosecuting and incarcerating 16- and 17-year-old defendants as adults. New York and North Carolina are the only states with such a policy.
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