NEW YORK — Today, Governor Kathy Hochul granted six pardons to people living in the community, all of whom had transformed their lives and needed and deserved this relief. However, she failed to act on a single clemency application from any incarcerated people, despite the ongoing humanitarian crisis in her prison system. In response, Stanley “Jamel” Bellamy, recipient of Executive Clemency after serving 37.5 years in prison and New York City Organizer with the Release Aging People in Prison Campaign (RAPP), released the following statement:
“While we welcome the six pardons granted today and celebrate for those who received them and their families, we are profoundly disappointed that Governor Hochul has yet again failed to grant a single commutation …
Since taking office in 2021, Governor Hochul has granted 145 clemencies, including 20 commutations to people incarcerated in the New York State prison system and 125 pardons for people living in the community. She has committed to granting clemencies on an ongoing basis, not just at the end of the year as has traditionally been done by previous governors. She has also committed to a transparent clemency process so that people know where their applications are at any given time. There are 1,175 pending commutation applications and 608 pending pardon applications awaiting action by the Governor.
