Senator Pam Helming and Monroe County Sheriff Todd Baxter, alongside local law enforcement and community leaders, are urging the passage of the PROTECT Act (S.2282A) in the New York State legislature. The PROTECT Act, standing for Pretrial Risk Overview for Threat Evaluation, Custody, and Treatment Act, is formulated to furnish judges with the ability to detain individuals who may pose a threat of committing violent crimes before trial.
New York State currently differs from others as it does not allow public safety considerations when making pretrial custody decisions. This lack has led to an increase in crime involving repeat offenders. The PROTECT Act proposes several measures to address these issues:
– Courts will implement a risk assessment tool to evaluate felony or Class A misdemeanor offenders, preventing the release of potentially dangerous individuals.
– Judges are required to assess the communal safety risk posed by offenders when deciding on pretrial custody.
– Offenders charged with new serious crimes while on pretrial release will remain in custody unless certified otherwise by a judge.
– The ongoing mental health crisis is addressed by permitting courts to direct at-risk individuals towards psychiatric evaluations and treatment.
Senator Helming emphasized the shared goal of public safety: “Public safety is an issue that affects everyone… The PROTECT Act resulted from a collaborative and bipartisan effort… I’m determined to make the PROTECT Act the law in New York State and I invite everyone to join us.”
Support for the act also comes from Monroe County Sheriff Todd K. Baxter, who added, “This legislation equips judges with a critical risk assessment tool at arraignment… The PROTECT Act is about accountability, fairness, and most importantly, preventing further harm to our citizens.”
Advocacy from the judicial community includes Wayne County District Attorney Christine Callanan, Ontario County District Attorney Jim Ritts, and Livingston County District Attorney Ashley Williams, who see the act as a return to granting judges necessary discretion. Assemblyman Brian Manktelow and Assemblywoman Andrea Bailey also express their support, echoing sentiments of increased public safety and judicial fairness.
Monroe County Legislator and Village of Honeoye Falls Mayor Richard Milne noted that current bail policies have often failed to address mental health needs, with the proposed legislation empowering courts to make effective interventions.
The PROTECT Act (S.2282), currently under Senate Committee on Codes review, has a counterpart bill (A7009) in the NYS Assembly sponsored by Assemblyman Billy Jones and is pending in the Codes Committee. The act has endorsements from various regional consortia for safe communities across New York.
