Advocates who have called for changes to New York's criminal justice system are starting a new effort to overhaul how people are sentenced to prison. 

They are seeking the approval of a trio of bills that, broadly, are meant to eliminate many mandatory minimum sentences, allow for resentencing in some instances and allow for earned time in prison to result in early release. 

"The complete suite of bills, all three together, just completely change the way sentencing has operated in New York for the last half century," said Jared Trujillo, the senior policy counsel for the New York Civil Liberties Union. 

Sentencing law changes would be the latest package of changes to go through the state Capitol after efforts to overhaul the juvenile justice system were approved, as well as limits to the use of solitary confinement and evidence discovery. 

The dueling news conferences were a sign of how the heated debate over the direction of New York's criminal justice system will once again return in 2022 just as all state offices will be up for election. 

And it also comes after several years of gains by reformers, who have backed an end to cash bail requirements for many criminal charges, the legalization of cannabis and the closure of prisons across the state amid a declining population. 

But law enforcement organizations and anti-crime advocates, including the parents of children who have been murdered, believe the changes have gone too far in one direction. 

"The same courage we had to take on this very difficult topic, we need to have that same courage to recognize that there's opportunity for improvements and come back to the table and make the appropriate adjustments," said Syracuse Police Chief Kenton Buckner. 

The cash bail laws in New York have been at the center of the debate as police and prosecutors call for judges to have greater latitude in keeping a defendant in custody if they are deemed a danger to the community.