The Case For Clean Slate OPED

are habitually denied housing and employment as a result of incarceration. The Clean Slate Act will allow the over 9,000 Long Island women New Hour has helped since our creation in 2015, to build their financial stability for themselves and their families. This bill was carefully crafted by lawmakers, domestic violence survivors and advocates like myself. While most convictions will be sealed, all sex offenses, A1 and A2 felonies will remain unsealed. These records will remain accessible to the courts, law enforcement agencies, the New York State Department of Education, the Department of Motor Vehicles, all private transportation companies and any employers that work with vulnerable populations such as children. This bill will allow formerly incarcerated parents and community members the opportunity to secure gainful employment, while still balancing public safety.

Opponents of this measure have created bad-faith narratives placing a negative spin on its intention. Those opposed to the passage of Clean Slate seem to seek perpetual punishment for individuals who have been incarcerated. What hard data proves is that perpetual punishment leads to sky-high recidivism rates, astronomical risks of poverty, homelessness and a culture that prioritizes prisons over people. Recidivism rates decrease dramatically when people have the opportunity to work and can access stable housing and support. In fact, New Hour members have a recidivism rate of 2 percent, opposed to the Long Island-wide 65 percent rate of recidivism. Denying housing and employment to those who have taken accountability for their actions and have finished serving their time doesn’t make our community stronger, it makes us weaker. The Clean Slate Act will enhances interpersonal relationships. Our great rabbis have said that adherence to proper speech is the single most important factor in determining our portion in the World to Come. It also empowers our prayer, validates our Torah learning, and invokes blessings and divine protection.

The preventative against speaking lashon ha-ra is to spend time improving ourselves on the inside, diligently working to correct our thoughts, speech, and actions. By exercising self-control, we can achieve a spiritual transformation—an inner makeover that will reflect outward, through our skin and our entire being. When we sincerely work to eradicate our faults, we become liberated from our bad habits and self-imposed limitations. We can then look outside of ourselves, connecting more deeply with our families, friends, and communities. And before we know it, our obsession with external appearance will be a thing of the past. Instead of being scrupulous about what we put into our mouths, we’ll find ourselves being vigilant about what comes out of our mouths! May our internal efforts to improve merit us seeing miraculous transformations in our own lives and may the world shine with beauty, truth, and lasting peace as a result.

Karl V. Anton, Jr.,

Publisher,

Anton Community Newspapers, 1984-2000

Publishers of

Glen Cove/Oyster Bay Record Pilot Great Neck Record

Manhasset Press

Nassau Illustrated News

Port Washington News

Syosset-Jericho Tribune

The Nassau Observer

The Roslyn News

Editor and Publisher

Angela Susan Anton

President

Frank A. Virga

Vice President of Operations/CFO

Iris Picone

Director of Sales

Administration

Shari Egnasko

Editors

Janet Burns, Jennifer Corr, Lauren Feldman, Christy Hinko, Amanda Olsen, Julie Prisco, Joe Scotchie

Advertising Sales

Ally Deane, Mary Mallon, Sal Massa, Maria Pruyn, Jeryl Sletteland

Director of Circulation

Joy DiDonato

Director of Production

Robin Carter

Creative Director

Alex Nuñez

Art Director

Catherine Bongiorno

Senior Page Designer

Donna Duffy

Page Designer

Christina Dieguez

Director of Business

Administration

Linda Baccoli lower rates of incarceration and drive down crime across New York State by providing formerly-incarcerated individuals the ability to become tax-paying community members.

If those opposed to the Clean Slate Act are worried about its effect, they should aim their efforts to support reentry programs like ours here at New Hour. The focus of the criminal justice system should always be with an eye towards reentry and rehabilitation, not retribution. We are grateful for the leadership of Long Island lawmakers who spoke up to urge passage of the Clean Slate Act. And we’ll continue to do our part to support justice-impacted women, mothers and children as they build a brighter, better future together.

-Serena Martin-Liguori Executive Director, New Hour for Women & Children

For circulation inquiries, email: subscribe@antonmediagroup.com

Publication Office: 132 East Second St., Mineola, NY 11501 Phone: (516) 747-8282

Fax: (516) 742-5867

© 2023 Long Island Community Newspapers, Inc.

Celebrating 39 YEARS IN BUSINESS

1984-2023

Letters to the editor are welcomed by Anton Media Group.

We reserve the right to edit in the interest of space and clarity.

All letters must include an address and daytime telephone number for verification. All material contributed to Anton Media Group in any form becomes the property of the newspapers to use, modify and distribute as the newspaper staff assigns or sees fit. Letters to the editor can be mailed to: editors@antonmediagroup.com

Additional copies of this and other issues are available for purchase by calling 516-403-5120.

The recovery efforts for prisoners of war (POWs) and missing in action (MIA) personnel by the United States government have undergone significant developments. These efforts reflect the commitment to bring closure to families and honor the sacrifice of those who have served in the Armed Forces. While the recovery process is complex and challenging, the U.S. government remains dedicated to accounting for and repatriating its missing personnel.

The United States government operates several agencies and organizations that are primarily responsible for POW/ MIA recovery efforts. The Defense POW/ MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) is at the forefront of these endeavors. Established in 2015, the DPAA consolidates and centralizes the efforts of several agencies, including the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) and the Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO).

One of the primary objectives of the DPAA is the investigation, recovery, identification, and return of the remains of missing personnel from past conflicts. This includes World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War, and other conflicts. The agency collaborates with various partners, including foreign governments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and other U.S. government agencies, to achieve these goals.

The recovery efforts involve a multi-faceted approach that combines archival