A district attorney in one New York county wants to help some pro-Hamas protesters avoid jail and will allow them to enroll in a crime prevention course instead.

Around 5 p.m. on May 2, a group of pro-Hamas protesters set up an encampment on the campus of SUNY Purchase, located in Westchester County, about 25 miles north of Columbia University, which recently had pro-Hamas protests as well. The Purchase protesters were reportedly warned at least 10 times that evening that they had to leave the area when quiet hours began at 10 p.m.

Members of Raise the Consciousness cheered after they heard that school administrators had supposedly agreed to 'every single demand' they had made.

They refused, and Purchase College President Milagros Peña claimed in an email that some protesters even "repeatedly" pulled campus fire alarms, causing further disturbances to their fellow students and area residents. So, by 10:15 that night, police broke up the encampment and arrested 68 individuals, all said to be students and faculty members.

As the vast majority of those 68 individuals are first-time offenders and have been charged with trespassing, Westchester County District Attorney Mimi Rocah has offered them a deal. They can avoid jail time so long as they complete a three-hour “Fresh Start” course.

Rocah first developed the Fresh Start course in 2021 to help non-violent, first-time offenders. The Fresh Start program consists of a three-hour group discussion regarding "the nature of the criminal justice system" and how group members "came to be involved in it," Lohud reported.

Rocah reiterated that only those arrestees who are first-time offenders are eligible for the program. Rocah's office will decline to prosecute those who complete the program, effectively dismissing the charges against them, Lohud said. It is unclear whether any students or faculty members have accepted the arrangement.

Many in the Purchase community certainly seem to believe the arrestees' civil rights had been violated on the night of May 2. Sabrina Thompson, a junior at the college and a member of the student protest group Raise the Consciousness, called the arrests "unconstitutional," and a letter sent to the school on behalf of campus faculty likewise slammed the "violent and disproportionate actions" of law enforcement.

President Peña has since met with protest representatives and agreed to a continued dialogue about their respective concerns. Members of Raise the Consciousness later cheered after they heard that school administrators had supposedly agreed to "every single demand" they had made.

Peña, however, emphasized that she has not agreed to divest Purchase from Israel.

"Our progress together must be built on a relationship of trust," Peña said in a statement. "We reaffirm that everyone on this campus has the right to work and learn in a safe environment, free from discrimination and harassment. Our commitment is to provide an equitable educational environment, as per our legal, moral, and ethical duty, and I will continue to partner with all in the campus community who share this commitment."

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