Manhattan DA’s Insane New Policies will Severely Limit Incarceration, even for Dangerous Criminals

MANHATTAN (VINnews) — Just when you thought New York City could not possibly get any worse, the new District Attorney is a radical leftist whose policies appear to be softer on criminals than anyone ever imagined.

On Monday, Alvin Bragg sent a memo instructing prosecutors not to seek incarceration except in homicides and a handful of other cases.

Outlining a range of new policies that are sure to allow many violent criminals to roam the streets, the new DA ordered attorneys to not request prison time for many dangerous criminals. They must also downgrade a number of felonies, including armed robbery and drug dealing.

That leaves many dangerous criminals who will be set free, including armed robbers who use guns to hold up stores and businesses, who will be charged with a misdemeanor, assuming no victims were seriously injured and there’s no “genuine risk of physical harm” (um, armed robbery with no risk of harm?).

Armed robbery in New York is typically eligible for 25 years in prison, however the downgrade to a misdemeanor means less than a year in jail and a mere $1,000 fine.

If a prosecutor does want to request a prison sentence (how cruel!), the maximum they can ask for is twenty years, if it’s the type of sentence that cannot be reviewed or changed by a parole board.

Bragg said that no prosecutor can request life without parole, including for vicious murderers, terrorists, serial killers, cop killers and monsters who kill children younger than 14.

Drug dealers “acting as a low-level agent of a seller” will only get a misdemeanor. Even dealers will only be charged with a felony if they’re accused of more serious crimes or caught in the act of selling drugs.

Bragg instructed prosecutors to consider the “impacts of incarceration”. He wants them to think about whether they are really increasing public safety, the cost of prison to taxpayers, racial disparities, and how hard it will be for ex-convicts to find a job.

He also wants lawyers to determine underlying causes of crime, like whether criminals are suffering from mental illness or had a difficult upbringing.

According to the New York Post, Bragg was elected in November with help from left-wing billionaire George Soros, who gave $1 million to a PAC which spent money to elect him.