Give the forgotten New York the voice: victim of crime

By Senator Jim Tedisco

New York has a broken probation system that makes it difficult for the victims and their families for crime to have sensible contributions to decisions about whether those who have been convicted of violent crimes.

Nobody understands this more than the families of the late Shenendehowa students Deanna Rivers and Christopher Stewart, who were tragically killed by a drunk, drug and serial dangerous drivers in 2012.

Previously, while she was convicted of Christopher and Deanna's murder, Dennis Drue in the state prison, occurred every two years before the state probation committee and added a terrible fear to the families of Stewart and Rivers.

Michael and Regina Stewart and Brian and Debbie Rivers, the parents of Christopher Stewart and Deanna Rivers, had to go through the heartbreaking process of speaking in front of the probation assistant every time through drue.

If victims and families give their effects on the probation committee, they may only speak to a member of the board, without the person working in the committee or is part of the decision as to whether they keep this imprisoned violent melt on probation on probation or not.

In New York, this frustrating situation of many victims and their families who want to hear their voices are confronted.

It is time to put the victim of crime in the first place by passing a bite -party legislation that I wrote. “Christopher's and Deanna's law”(P.24), named in a loving memory of Christopher Stewart and Deanna Rivers to ensure that statements for the effects of victims are recorded.

In the legislation, all statements of the victim effects on video must be recorded and all members of the probation board, who have to watch the videos about the probation for a perpetrator before they make their decision if the members do not meet with the victims and their families personally.

As I said, “Christopher's and Deanna's law” is non -partisan. John McDonald, the democratic MP of the majority, sponsors the measure in the meeting.

This week, Dennis Drue, who was released from the state prison from the state prison in 2023, was the catastrophic law “Less more” in front of a judge after being accused of giving the police a wrong name last month. Drue admitted to his probation helper that he was operating a vehicle that he was not allowed to do and that he had not installed a prescribed locking device.

The administrative judge, who headed the most recent hearing of Drue in front of the chairman of Drue to see whether he should return to prison, first told the Stewart and Rivers family that they could not speak at the hearing, since I believe that it is a gap in state law that does not provide any procedures for victim effects on this type of hearing.

While Michael Stewart was able to read an explanation after intervention, the Rivers family was not expanded the same courtesy. This is unacceptable. I am currently researching to conclude by law.

I am also a sponsor of legislation to extend the waiting time between the hearings of the prescribed probation of 24 to 60 months, in cases in which the occupants, which requested a probation, was condemned for a violent break (p. 15).

Against the background of the outrageous plan of governor Hochul, this is to insult the victims of crimes by hacking 110 days freely for many inmates because she refuses to negotiate with our judicial officers in good faith.

Can the governor give the victims 110 days of stress -free life whose life has been changed by these criminals forever?

We can be compassionate for people who have made mistakes, made their time and try to turn their lives around, but primarily we need justice and compassion for victims of crime.

If the leaders of our state want to take the things in New York and to stop the mass exodus of people who flee from the state, they must make the priority of combating crime and the priority of public security and this begins with the support of a “”Sacrifice firstAgenda.

My heart hurts for the families in Stewart and Rivers, who are once again reminded of the terrible loss of their beautiful children Christopher and Deanna, who had to endure and have to rethink every time they dealt with the State Parole Board.

We have to hand over the bi-partisan “Christopher's and Deanna's lawIn order to improve the voices of our forgotten citizens – victims of crime – and ensure that the effects on the victims of the effects on the effects of victims are taken on, all state board members who have to vote on probation for a perpetrator who have to watch videos before they make their decision.

It is time to fix the broken probation system to prevent miscarriage.

You say that you see that. It is time to really see crime victims.