Gov. Kathy Hochul wants to expand opportunities for incarcerated New Yorkers to reduce time on their sentence — building on momentum for prison reform in the next budget following last month's death of an incarcerated man who was beaten by multiple correction officers.

The governor wants more people in prison to be eligible to reduce their sentences through good behavior and expanded job training — especially in emerging green energy fields.

The governor did not mention her support for the sentencing reform in Tuesday's State of the State speech. Instead, she quietly tucked the vague proposal in her State of the State book of about 200 budget priorities at the end of criminal justice plans to address repeat offenders and reduce recidivism rates.

"Repeat offenses contribute significantly to overall crime rates in New York, with reoffending rates as high as 80% for individuals released from prison," according to Hochul's vague proposal. "...Gov. Hochul will expand training in green energy and sustainable industries and enhance positive incentive programs like merit time to improve reentry success."

Several Democratic lawmakers have pushed for years for legislation, known as the Earned Time Act, to expand time allowance credits for incarcerated New Yorkers to reduce their sentence for good behavior, programming or other rehabilitation.

"The focus of the workforce development in the State of the State [book] is a focus on 21st Century jobs," sponsor Assemblywoman Anna Kelles said. "That will get people directly into the jobs that already exist, and good-paying jobs."

Current state law permits all incarcerated New Yorkers to earn time off their sentences for good behavior, regardless of their criminal charge. But only people with a drug charge can earn merit time credits for job programs or other rehabilitation, or about 20% of New Yorkers in prison, according to state Department of Correction & Community Supervision data.

Kelles said the expansion will create incentives for good behavior and encourage people in prison to seek personal change.

She and other lawmakers argue prison reforms are critical this session in wake of the death of Robert Brooks after he was beaten by correction officers at Marcy Correctional Facility in Oneida County.

"It makes the community safer, but it also reduces violence within the carceral system between people incarcerated and also for corrections officers," Kelles said. "

Republican lawmakers condemn Brooks' death, but argue it should not fuel hasty legislative reaction.

Sen. Patrick Gallivan, a former Erie County sheriff, said people in prison can already reduce their sentence for good behavior and an expansion wouldn't be fair to crime victims.

"They already could get their sentence reduced by up to one-third, so I don't think it's necessary to go any further," he said of the existing legislation, which would allow earned time credits to reduce criminal sentences by up to one-half.

The Senate GOP backs greater funding for correction facilities to boost staff training, equipment and hiring efforts.

Gallivan supports initiatives to increase cameras throughout state prisons in wake of the recent death at Marcy.

"I'm pleased that the governor called for that after the Marcy incident and I certainly hope that we follow through on that, because it helps with accountability," the senator said.

Thomas Gant served 25 years in state prison on a second-degree murder and weapons charges.

Now, two years after his release, Gant said the program would have given him hope while behind bars, and encouraged him to participate in programming to earn his way home sooner.

"If these bills would have been enacted while I was incarcerated, No. 1, I could have been home a lot sooner, contributing to my community a lot faster and being more productive," he said.

Gant, who is originally from Buffalo, added expanding good and merit time credits for people in prison has the potential to transform the culture of state facilities.

"It transforms the prison culture as a whole [and] ultimately, it will make prisons safer," Gant said. "It'll make interactions with staff a lot more ... safer and respectable."

Hochul will announce the details of her plan to expand the program in her budget to be released on Tuesday. Lawmakers in support hope it will mirror the existing bill.

Assembly Correction Committee chair Erik Dilan said there's been growing support for the Earned Time Act.

"I am cautiously optimistic something can e done this session," he said in a statement Thursday. "Let's see how it unfolds."