New York tosses jail time for most minor parole violations
New Yorkers will be able to avoid jail time for most nonviolent parole violations under a new law signed Friday by Gov. Kathy Hochul.
The “Less is More” law largely eliminates New York’s practice of incarcerating people for technical parole violations, including being late to an appointment with a parole officer, missing curfew, or failing to pay fees or to inform a parole officer of a change in employment.
Starting in March, people on parole will land back behind bars only for drug or alcohol use if they were convicted of driving under the influence of those substances.
Supporters of the law say that New York has one of the the nation’s highest rates of incarcerating people for technical parole violations, and that the practice is costly and fuels the cycle of people landing behind bars again after serving their time.