Democrats and Republican state lawmakers opened the 2023 legislative session in Albany acknowledging voters are increasingly concerned about public safety and crime in their communities. 

While lawmakers in both parties differ in how they plan to address the issue, progressive advocates who have backed changes to New York's criminal justice system are forging ahead with their own agenda. 

The groups, including the Center for Community Alternatives and FWD.us, are reviving an effort to approve the long-stalled Clean Slate Act, which is meant to seal many criminal records in order to boost employment of people with convictions on their records. 

At the same time, the groups are seeking a package of measures meant to revise sentencing laws in New York. 

"This legislation will strengthen families and communities by ensuring all New Yorkers can access basic life necessities, eliminating court debt and cycles of poverty and punishment that disproportionately fall on women, and investing in community resources and rehabilitation, rather than perpetual punishment," said Katie Schaeffer, the director of advocacy at the Center for Community Alternatives.

But whether these measures can get done remains an open question. The Clean Slate measure has run into opposition in the Democratic-led state Assembly. Moderate lawmakers and elected officials have sought further changes to New York's law that ended cash bail requirements for many criminal charges. 

At the very least, advocates are urging state lawmakers to take a "data driven" approach to the issue of public safety after the election season was dominated by how to address a rise in violent crime in recent years. 

“We urge lawmakers to stand strong against efforts to repeal successful policies like bail reform and to advance laws that reduce the state’s incarceration rate with changes to New York’s outdated sentencing and parole laws," said FWD.us policy and research manager Alana Sivin. 

Democrats in the state Senate have already signaled they want to address public safety, but indicated it would be a broad-based plan that focuses on housing and poverty.