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Dear New Yorkers,

About 800,000 New Yorkers live with essentially partial citizenship that is not a matter of birthright, but due to the limits placed by having a prior felony conviction.

What is allowed, and what is off limits? What ex-felons can do in New York City is set by a confusing mix of laws, rules of supervised release and social stigma.

Even as social attitudes about criminal justice-involved people shift, and policies race to match a society willing to integrate people with prior convictions back, many still have to navigate a maze of regulations.

“I enjoy a good deal of civic life but the truth is I am not a full citizen,” said Rob DeLeon, the deputy CEO for a nonprofit that manages reentry for people, who spent a decade in prison until the early 2000s. DeLeon notes, for example, that people with felony convictions are forbidden from serving on a jury in New York State. That means that a third of all the Black men in the state are currently ineligible to be jurors according to the state bar association.

THE CITY recently spoke to justice-involved community members, advocates and elected officials to better understand the nuances.

Here is our guide to what someone with a prior felony conviction can and cannot do in New York City, from voting to getting financial aid. Plus, read our Court Support series to find out more information about public defenders, rap sheets and free legal help in housing court.

Weather scoop by New York Metro Weather Monday’s Weather Rating: 3/10. This may shock you, but it’s hot and humid again. High temperatures reach the lower 90s, dew points are too high and there’s a chance of storms. The vibes are uncomfortable again …

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Our Other Top Story

The Baruch Bathhouse on the Lower East Side has been abandoned for the past 49 years. And after six years of proposals and planning, the 123-year-old bathhouse will stay that way for a while longer. Last week, a luxury developer nixed its $50 million proposal to demolish the building and turn it into an ice rink, citing its failure to raise the necessary funds.

Reporter’s Notebook

Adams and Stringer Fundraising

Mayor Eric Adams has raised more than $1 million in the last six months for his reelection, according to his campaign counsel. Meanwhile, former City Comptroller Scott Stringer’s exploratory committee has raised about $420,000 from 2,100 donors, Stringer told THE CITY late Friday.

With about half the haul eligible for the city’s public matching campaign of 8-to-1, Stringer said the total raised equates to $2.1 million.

“I’m obviously very excited about it,” he told THE CITY. “I think it’s a strong filing to start to build a campaign that will address the needs of New Yorkers in a mayor’s race.”

“The mayor’s campaign has continued to draw strong support from New Yorkers, raising more than $1 million over the last six months — putting the amount available to spend for his reelection at more than $8 million, which is close to the maximum allowed,” said Vito Pitta, Adams 2025 counsel.

Stringer, who finished fifth in the Democratic primary for mayor in 2021, said he’d make the call on whether to formally enter the 2025 race in “the next few months.”

Potential other candidates for mayor, such as state Sen. Zellnor Myrie and current comptroller Brad Lander, have until Monday to submit their fundraising totals from the last six months to the city’s Campaign Finance Board.

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Things To Do

Here’s what’s going on around the city this week.

Tuesday, July 16: Books on Broadway: The Outsiders, a “backstage” talk about the book that inspired the Tony-winning Broadway musical, featuring the play’s director and a leading cast member. Free from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. at the Reading Room at Bryant Park in Manhattan. Tuesday, July 16: Making Community Theater, a multigenerational theater workshop hosted by the Roundabout Theater Company. Free from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Escape to Nature (Glenmore Hendrix Block Association), 555 Glenmore Ave. in Brooklyn. Saturday, July 20: A mending workshop and community storytelling event hosted by the Noguchi Museum. Free (registration required) from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Socrates Sculpture Park in Queens.

THE KICKER: After months of budget woes, Sunday library hours have been restored at seven branches of the city’s three library systems.

Thanks, as always, for reading. Make it a great Monday.

Love,

THE CITY

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