Advocates demand legislative reforms for parole justice and crime survivor support in NY

January 3, 2024 Robert Abruzzese, Courthouse Editor

Advocates from the Release Aging People in Prison Campaign rally at the Capitol on the first day of the NY Legislative Session, urging lawmakers to pass parole reform and justice legislation to enhance community safety and address mass incarceration.
Photo courtesy of RAPP

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As the state’s legislative session kicks off with the new year, a vocal group comprising family members of incarcerated individuals and former prisoners themselves wasted no time to gather at the Capitol on Wednesday morning.

Representing the Release Aging People in Prison Campaign (RAPP), these advocates called for immediate action on a comprehensive agenda aimed at reforming the justice system and enhancing community safety.

RAPP’s agenda features pivotal legislation like the Elder Parole and the Fair and Timely Parole bills.

State Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal, the champion of the Elder Parole bill, highlighted the need for a justice system that transcends mere punishment and recognizes the transformative rehabilitation of older incarcerated individuals.

“Justice is about more than simply punishment, but our legal system often fails to recognize that. Many older adults are languishing behind bars despite having completely transformed and rehabilitated themselves, hurting families and communities and costing taxpayers a fortune,” said Hoylman-Sigal. “This is the year to pass the Elder Parole bill, as well as Fair and Timely Parole, to give New Yorkers a fair chance to demonstrate who they are today and earn the opportunity to reunite with their loved ones.”

Jose Saldana, RAPP campaign director, emphasized that these bills target racial disparities in sentencing and parole practices, advocating for a redirection of funds towards resources that bolster community safety and support crime victims.

“The Elder Parole and Fair and Timely Parole bills will address head-on the racist sentencing and parole practices that have ripped apart our families and communities, allow for millions of dollars in savings that can be redirected to resources to improve community safety and support crime victims, and help ensure that future generations is able to thrive instead of getting ensnared in the same racist perpetual punishment system that affects their forebearers,” Saldana said.

“Our campaign is led by people who have experienced more than 500 years of incarceration collectively. Our shared experience makes us policy experts in this area and we will continue to demand real justice and safety.”

Daryl Tolbert, a community leader with RAPP, expressed his fervent hope for the passage of these bills, underscoring their alignment with fundamental values of redemption and healing. TeAna Taylor, co-director of Policy and Communications at RAPP, shared her personal story of spending holidays without her father due to incarceration, urging for legislative victories that promote genuine safety and healing.

The proposed legislation includes Fair and Timely Parole and Elder Parole, which are designed to evaluate parole release on a case-by-case basis, focusing on an individual’s present character and rehabilitation efforts. These bills aim to address the crisis of aging and dying in prison due to extended sentences and biased parole denials.

The advocacy also extends to the Rights Behind Bars bill, seeking to uphold the basic rights of individuals in state custody, and legislation that aims to provide justice for survivors of abuse while in state custody.

Other key reforms include the Challenging Wrongful Convictions Act, to provide legal pathways for exoneration in the absence of DNA evidence, Communities Not Cages sentencing reforms, and the Unemployment Bridge Program, aimed at supporting freelancers, domestic workers, undocumented New Yorkers, and re-entry workers.

The Clemency Justice Act is another proposal, seeking to make the clemency process more transparent and accessible.