The Questions

We asked the candidates the following questions, visit our homepage to read the answers.

1. In New York City, over 37,000 people are homeless; and for 43 percent of households in the city, housing costs account for over 30 percent of income. What should the state do about the lack of access to safe, affordable housing for the lowest-income New Yorkers – including those struggling with mental illness, physical disabilities, addiction, or reentry from jail or prison?

2. In some states, people convicted of a felony can lose the right to vote while incarcerated, on parole, on probation — or even for good. In Kentucky and Virginia, the loss of this right is permanent, short of government pardon. In Maine and Vermont, a person never loses this right in his or her home district, even while incarcerated. In New York, those convicted of a felony cannot vote while in prison or on parole.What are your views on voting rights for people in prison New York State? What are your views on voting rights for people on Parole in New York State?

3. New York’s prison population has decreased by 20 percent – from 72,899 to 57,139 – in the last decade According to the Department of Correctional Services, there are over 5,000 empty beds in its system. Given that the prison population will likely decline further in 2010, and given the state’s budget deficit, closing underutilized prisons has been suggested as a way to save money and avoid cuts to other services. What are your views on closing New York prisons that are running below capacity?

4. Each year, over 120,000 people are released from New York’s jails and prisons. For formerly incarcerated persons, securing a job is critical to successful reentry into society. However, many employers will not hire persons who have a criminal record, despite laws against discrimination. How should the State promote employment for job-seekers who have criminal records? How can the private sector be encouraged to help with this?

5. In 2009, the New York City Police Department conducted a record 575,304 stops as part of its stop-and-frisk policy. Of those stopped 87 percent were Black and Latino. .The NYPD claims this policy has reduced crime, but many civil rights and community groups have criticized it as inefficient and racially biased. What are your views on the NYPD’s stop-and-frisk practices? What steps should the city and/or NYPD take to improve relations between the police and residents, particularly in communities of color?