By: David Slattery, NY Daily News
ALBANY — Proponents of a pair of bills that would overhaul the state’s parole system renewed their push for change Wednesday as lawmakers held a hearing on the measures.
Advocates are pushing for the passage of the Elder Parole and the Fair and Timely Parole bills, two long-sought measures that would streamline the parole process and make it easier for older inmates to become eligible for release.
“This is a matter of life and death. We can talk about bills and statistics. I work with many people who are facing death by incarceration,” said Steve Zeidman, director of the Criminal Defense Clinic at CUNY Law School. “With thousands of people facing life sentences, New York State is an epicenter of the crisis of mass incarceration.”