Public Safety & Justice

Governor Hochul is committed to keeping our communities and families safe, getting illegal guns off our streets, and ensuring our criminal justice system is fairer and more equitable.

In keeping with her commitment to enhancing public safety in communities facing increased gun violence, Governor Hochul is focused on ensuring that state and local agencies can safely and effectively enforce the law. Working with partners at all levels, she has enacted legislation to further strengthen New York’s nation-leading gun laws and provide public safety officials with the tools to crack down on the distribution and possession of dangerous weapons.

Governor Hochul has also increased the state’s collaboration with communities facing increased gun violence, directing tens of millions of dollars in grants to community and hospital-based violence intervention programs that work to reduce firearm-related incidents through mediation, mentoring, and community engagement.

Governor Hochul also understands that our communities are stronger and safer when every member has the opportunity to contribute and is committed to creating pathways to reduce recidivism. For far too long, formerly incarcerated New Yorkers have been forced to deal with the lifelong consequences of criminal convictions that deny them a second chance to reclaim their role as an equal member of society. That’s why her agenda for New York’s comeback includes a new “Jail-to-Jobs” initiative to ensure incarcerated people have the support they need to find employment during re-entry, as well as the restoration of the Tuition Assistance program for incarcerated people — ending a 30-year ban.