Pols eye earned time expansion as deal falls out of N.Y. budget

State lawmakers said sentencing reform will be a top priority in the final weeks of session as a deal to expand earned time credits for incarcerated New Yorkers fell out of the final budget.

Democrats in Albany expressed frustration Tuesday that a proposal to make more people in prison eligible to earn time off their sentence for educational programs, job training or good behavior, was likely removed from the annual spending plan — now over five weeks late.

Sen. Jeremy Cooney, a Rochester Democrat, said Gov. Kathy Hochul and the legislature could not agree how much time a person could earn off a sentence and which felonies should be eligible. Only about 18% of incarcerated New Yorkers are currently eligible for merit time…