Advocates call on state Legislature to act on parole reforms

The state Legislature has moved to reform state prisons like Sing Sing over the years, but criminal justice reform advocates are now turning their focus to parole.

News 12 Staff

May 28, 2021, 12:26 AM

Updated 1,225 days ago

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Calls are growing for more criminal justice reform in New York, this time to address what advocates say are inequities in the way parole is handled.
The state Legislature has moved to reform state prisons like Sing Sing over the years, but criminal justice reform advocates are now turning their focus to parole.
A group rallied in New Rochelle, advocating for a pair of bills that would change the way early release is handled.
The first would change the standard of parole, focusing on an inmate's rehab, not their crime.
The second would allow any 55-year-old who has served at least 15 years to get a parole board hearing regardless of how long their sentence is.
Those who support the changes say the bills would encourage people to improve behind bars and release aging inmates who don't often get the medical attention they need while locked up.
Different versions of these bills have been in Albany several times over the last few years.
News 12 reached out to Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins for an update on this year's proposals, but has not heard back yet.
The current legislative session ends in two weeks.