By ANTHONY DIXON / QUEENS DAILY EAGLE
No one should be judged unworthy of freedom by those who’ve never had to earn it back. Recently, the New York City Council passed Resolution 414-A, with a majority of Queens Councilmembers voting aye, backing a bill introduced by Senator Cordell Cleare requiring the Governor and State Legislature to appoint at least one formerly incarcerated person to the New York State Board of Parole. Though the Council lacks appointment power, its message was unmistakable: those most impacted by incarceration must help shape the system that determines freedom. Councilmember Sandy Nurse put it plainly: “Who could be more qualified to guide parole decisions than those with firsthand experience?” She’s right. This is not just common sense—it is a democratic and moral imperative.
For decades, New York’s parole process has been dominated by law enforcement appointees. Commissioners with law enforcement backgrounds and ties to prison-hosting communities routinely reflect punitive values over restorative ones. In some cases, unions even publicly demand that the Board violate the law by denying parole solely because the victim wore a badge—disregarding the legal mandate to assess rehabilitation, not re-punish past crimes…