Prisoner on Rockefeller Drug Law Reform: The Beast is Being Created

With regard to the $50,000 claim, that is patently wrong. The Rockefeller reform legislation creates a NEW crime of “Operating as a Major Trafficker.” In order to be found guilty of this NEW, very serious offense, a person must, among other things, be shown to have profited from a drug deal in the amount of $75,000. Nothing in the reform bill exempts any other offense related to selling drugs based on how much someone can be shown to have made as profit.

With regard to the claims about how easy it is to get treatment instead of incarceration, this is what the law provides:

1. Judicial diversion (treatment instead of incarceration) is available to those who are charged with a B-level drug-related offense or below, UNLESS: within preceding 10 years (excluding any time spent incarcerated), the person was convicted of a

• violent felony offense


• any other offense where merit time is not allowed (those convicted of sex offenses and non-drug A1 felons); OR


• previously adjudicated a second violent felony offender; OR


• if a violent felony offense is pending.

1. Someone who is eligible for consideration for judicial diversion must be assessed as having a substance abuse disorder. In order to determine this, the person must submit to an “Alcohol and substance abuse evaluation” which is a written assessment and report by a court-appointed entity or licensed health care professional experienced in the treatment of alcohol or substance abuse or by OASAS-certified counselor (CASAC), including:

• an evaluation of history of substance abuse or alcohol or substance dependence in accordance with DSM IV and co-occurring mental disorder or mental illness if any;
• a recommendation as to whether a substance abuse dependence could be effectively addressed by judicial diversion;
• a recommendation of treatment modality; level of care, length of proposed treatment time; and

• any other information deemed to be relevant.

What this means is that treatment instead of incarceration is only available to low-level, non violent offenders. If you’ve got a violent felony in your past, you are not going to be eligible for diversion under this law. Someone who is eligible for consideration for judicial diversion must be assessed as having a substance abuse disorder, and that’s a careful, deliberative decision made by a licensed professional.

DAs have a say in this process and can request a hearing before a defendant is diverted. The law requires that the hearing include an examination of the defendant’s entire criminal history and statements by any victims. In order to divert someone from prison to treatment, the court has to determine that jail time is not necessary to protect public safety.