Envisioned as a way to remove stubborn barriers to employment, housing and other services, the pardons would be available to anyone who was found guilty of a nonviolent felony or misdemeanor that was committed while they were 16 or 17, provided they have spent at least a decade without any additional convictions. Under his plan, Mr. Cuomo intends to invite those people to apply for — and virtually be assured of receiving — a governor’s pardon, as long as they meet several other criteria.
In a phone interview, Mr. Cuomo, a Democrat, said his plan would provide second chances to generations of once-youthful offenders who had long since abandoned their criminal lives but continue to be dogged by their criminal pasts.
“It’s a way to help people get on with their life,” said Mr. Cuomo, adding that his plan would act as a reward for good behavior and a chance at redemption. “When you’re young you can make a mistake, and maybe you don’t have to carry the burden for your entire life.”
Mr. Cuomo had long been considered parsimonious when it came to clemency, issuing only nine pardons or commutations of sentences in nearly five years in office. But the plan unveiled on Sunday would significantly amplify that process; administration officials estimate that there is a backlog of some 10,000 New Yorkers who may qualify immediately for the governor’s pardons, with an additional 350 people becoming eligible each year as they pass 10 years without additional convictions.
The move, announced two months after Mr. Cuomo established a “clemency project” to review and assist potential applicants, was praised by advocates who have been lobbying to raise the age of criminal responsibility in New York, one of only two states to treat 16- and 17-year-olds as adults in criminal court.
