Jacob Kaye / QUEENS DAILY EAGLE
Queens lawmakers and residents will rally in Albany on Wednesday in support of a pair of parole reform bills. (file photo via RAPP)
Nearly a fifth of all Queens residents behind bars in New York are 55 years or older – and despite being convicted at a far younger age, have few opportunities to advocate for their release, according to new data shared with the Eagle.
According to data from the Release Aging People in Prison Campaign, around 18 percent of all Queens residents serving their sentences in New York State prisons are 55 years or older. Many, according to advocates, were given multi-decade sentences at a young age and despite changing their lives while incarcerated, have found it difficult to petition for their release….