Crime might literally soon pay in New York State if State Senator Kevin Parker and Assemblyman Eddie Gibbs get their way. They’re proposing a new bill that would hand perps leaving prison around $2,600, or $400 a month for six months.

There would be no limitations on how the handout could be spent. This is “criminal justice reform” at work, folks.

The idea is that such aid would help lower the rate of recidivism, claimed Samra Haider with the Center for Employment Opportunities.

"By almost 30%," Haider said. "It just helps them give a little breathing room allow them to focus on their job search, re-acclimate to the community, and so we think that will really help an individual's reentry home from prison."

Republican State Senator George Borrello had a different view, however.

"In New York crime pays, literally…

"My colleagues seem to think that these these are folks that are a victim of circumstances," Borrello said. "You chose to commit a crime in New York State. If you really are concerned about how much money you're going to have in your pocket when you leave prison, then don't go there to begin with."

We’ve written about Kevin Parker before:

More:

NY Dem Behind Bill Requiring Gun Buyers Have Internet Background Checks for Mean Posts Tells GOP Staffer to Kill Herself

Eddie Gibbs, meanwhile, was formerly incarcerated himself and has made justice reform a centerpiece of his platform:

Team Gibbs is ready to kick off our re-election campaign!

As the first and only formerly incarcerated person elected to the NYS Legislature, I’m ready to continue advocating for meaningful criminal justice reform, affordable housing, and public safety.

Join the movement! pic.twitter.com/L0rS3agY8L

— Eddie Gibbs (@EddieGibbsNY) January 12, 2024

We’ve seen so much of this in blue states like California, New York, and Illinois. Reform advocates say they’re aiming for a more equitable system, but in practice, that usually means coddling criminals and ignoring their victims.

Question: do the victims of these crimes get any money? I doubt Parker or Gibbs has a bill for that. Meanwhile, I have mouths to feed and tuitions to pay—where’s my $400 a month? Do I need to knock off the corner gas station to get it?

Take Los Angeles, for example: while murders are down, property crime has flown through the roof. Could it be that soft-on-crime policies and criminal-coddling district attorneys like George Gascón are to blame?

At Rampart, to take just one example, the crush of property crimes is constant. Stolen vehicles, burglaries and thefts from autos top the division’s weekly list of crimes, and solving them is made more difficult by staffing shortages: Once a force of more than 10,000 officers, the LAPD’s ranks are now just more than 9,000 and dropping. Since violent crimes tend to get priority, the loss of personnel is especially felt in units assigned to defending property. 

Citywide, property crimes are mostly level in recent years — down just 1.3% since 2021. But personal and other thefts have increased 14% this year and are up 42% from this time two years ago. That’s a genuine crime surge, even if it is occurring during a lull in violent crimes.

I might be a little cranky about this issue lately since one of my kids' cars was just stolen—for the second time. Is the person who took it going to get a taxpayer-funded payday?

One of my kids had her car stolen yesterday. While we were at police station, got a call that her building had been evacuated bc a schizo guy stabbed his GF w a screwdriver.

Thought to myself, you know what @POTUS needs to focus on? JUNK FEES.https://t.co/KgiT7DSqlA

— Bob Hoge (@Bob_Hoge_CA) March 8, 2024