About 1,300 died in NY state prisons in the last decade, research shows
October 13, 2021: Tiffany Cusaac-Smith, lohud.
Report outlines death rates for older adults incarcerated in New York
October 12, 2021: Rachel Vick, Queens Daily Eagle
More older New Yorkers dying in prison — even as overall deaths drop
October 12, 2021: Noah Goldberg, New York Daily News
Report says New York State prison system has created ‘a new death penalty’
October 11, 2021: Gloria Pazmino, Spectrum NY1 Exclusive
Elderly prisoners pose little risk, so why won’t the state let some of them free?
October 2, 2021: The Editorial Board, Boston Globe
Ending New York’s Love Affair with Life Sentences
September 20, 2021: Anthony Dixon, Gotham Gazette
Gov. Hochul should use her powers to end harsh prison sentences (Guest Opinion by Martin Garbus)
September 16, 2021: Martin Garbus, syracuse.com
Women in New York prisons complain of contaminated water after Hurricane Ida
September 14, 2021: Char Adams, NBC News
Attica prison riot hardened attitudes on incarceration but also planted seeds for reform
September 13, 2021: Tiffany Cusaac-Smith, lohud.
50 years later, the struggle of Attica continues. New York must do better
September 9, 2021: Jose Saldaña, lohud.
A half-century after Attica, prisoners’ demands have not been met
September 8, 2021: Marvin Mayfield, New York Daily News
Parole advocates urge legislature to pass reform bills
September 1, 2021: Rachel Vick, Queens Daily Eagle
Advocates rally in Albany for parole reform bills
September 1, 2021: Kate Lisa, NNY360
Rally at Capitol urges passage of clean slate, parole justice bills
September 1, 2021: WRGB Staff, CBS6 Albany
“Extraordinary session” ready for Wednesday to tackle evictions
August 31, 2021: Joshua Solomon, Times Union
Thousands of prisoners have died of covid-19. Because of the ‘tough on crime era,’ there’s worse to come
August 26, 2021: Frank R. Baumgartner, Tamira Daniely, Kalley Huang, Patrice McGloin, Niharika Vattikonda, Kamryn Washington, Sydney Johnson, Allison Swagert, Alexander Love and Lyle May, Washington Post
Brian Benjamin is NY Gov. Kathy Hochul’s pick for lt. governor, sources say
August 25, 2021: Jon Campbell and Tiffany Cusaac-Smith, Times Herald-Record
David Gilbert, Ex-Weather Underground Member, Granted Clemency by Cuomo. Will Parole Board Free Him?
August 24, 2021: Amy Goodman, Steve Zeidman, Democracy Now!
Cuomo gives clemency to 6, including Brink’s heist driver
August 24, 2021: Associated Press, WWNY 7 News
Cuomo grants 6 more clemencies before leaving office
August 24, 2021: Jacob Kaye, Queens Daily Eagle
Despite Recent Batches Of Clemencies, Prison Reform Advocates Feel Let Down By Cuomo
August 24, 2021: Jim O’Grady, Gothamist
Advocates urge Cuomo to use clemency power during his final days in office
August 20, 2021: Monica Espitia, Spectrum News/NY1
As Cuomo leaves office, advocates look to the new administration
August 20, 2021: Morgan McKay, Spectrum News/NY1
Cuomo grants clemency on his way out
August 18, 2021: Jacob Kaye, Queens Daily Eagle
In last days in office, Cuomo grants 10 clemencies. Could he have done more?
August 18, 2021: Tiffany Cusaac-Smith, lohud.
In Kathy Hochul, reform advocates see hope but proceed with caution
August 17, 2021: Tiffany Cusaac-Smith, Democrat & Chronicle
Op-ed: The next Manhattan DA must help fix the incarceration crisis
August 15, 2021: Mark Shervington, AM/NY
Activists hold vigil for man who died in prison after being denied parole
August 9, 2021: Jacob Kaye, Queens Daily Eagle
Lawmakers must reconvene and pass parole reform for community safety
July 30, 2021: TeAna Taylor, The Daily Gazette, Guest Column
Commentary: Gov. Cuomo, take the reins on elder parole reform
July 16, 2021: Steve Zeidman, Times Union
Advocating for Elder Parole and Release
July 13, 2021: Karl Shallowhorn interviews RAPP’s Donna Robinson, Color Me Healthy on Facebook
Survivors of Crime Can Speak for Ourselves – Pass Parole Reform
June 28, 2021: Melissa Tanis, AMNY
Parole reform can free inequality
June 26, 2021: Luz Marquez Benbow, Times Union
Parole reform advocates call for lawmakers to hold special session
June 25, 2021: Corina Cappabianca, NY Capitol News
United States: there’s an aging crisis in New York’s prisons and we need to solve it
June 16, 2021: Rodney Holcombe, Prison Insider
Suspenso hasta el último minuto por la aprobación de paquete de reforma judicial en la Legislatura de Nueva York
June 11, 2021: Fernando Martínez, El Diario
Advocates urge parole reform in final hours of New York’s legislative session
June 10, 2021: Rachel Vick, Queens Daily Eagle
New York’s elderly incarcerated population is growing—it’s time to let them go home
June 9, 2021: Tamar Sarai Davis, Prism News
Advocates for Parole Reform Camp Outside Capitol in Final Days of Session
June 9, 2021: Capital Region News
‘In There To Die:’ Astoria Mother Calls For Elder Parole Reform
June 9, 2021: Kayla Levy, Patch
Sleepout at Capitol supports parole reform bills
June 8, 2021: WRGB Staff, CBS6/Albany
Parole reform advocates camp outside New York State Capitol
June 8, 2021: Subrina Dhammi, WNYT News Channel 13
Campaign targets state parole system reform
June 7, 2021: Johairy Delacruz, Rochester Beacon
Final push for parole reforms head to New York Democratic leadership
June 7, 2021: Joshua Solomon, Times Union
Advocates continue to urge lawmakers to pass parole reform bills before session ends
June 7, 2021: Corina Cappabianca, Capitol News, WETM TV 18
Parole reform advocates rally at state Capitol
June 7, 2021: WNYT Staff, WNYT News Channel 13
Bills to watch in the final week of the 2021 legislative session
June 7, 2021: Rebecca C. Lewis, Zach Williams, City and State New York
NYS can make its parole laws more just
June 7, 2021: Julie Garcia, former district attorney of Essex County, Newsday / Opinion
NY lawmakers mull criminal justice bills as session wraps
June 6, 2021: Marina Villeneuve, Associated Press
New York Can’t Allow Its Prisons to Become Nursing Homes
June 6, 2021: Brie Williams, MD, Empire Report
Will this be the year for parole reform?
June 4, 2021, Morgan McKay, Spectrum News1 / Susan Arbetter, Capital Tonight
Activists sharpen call for parole reform
June 4, 2021: Kate Lisa, NNY360
Community groups rally for passage of parole justice, clean slate and New York for All legislation
June 3, 2021: midhudsonnews.com
NAACP join push for parole reform in New York
June 1, 2021: Denis Slattery, New York Daily News
Another Voice: Incarcerated people deserve a second chance at life
June 1, 2021: Deacon Jerome Wright, The Buffalo News
Billboard campaign seeks to push parole reform bills
June 1, 2021: Nick Reisman, State of Politics/Spectrum News
5 things to know as the legislative session ends in Albany
June 1, 2021: Nick Reisman, Spectrum News1
Aging and dying behind prison bars
May 31, 2021: Amy Fettig, New York Daily News
Lawmakers wrestle with parole bills as session deadline nears
May 30, 2021: Joe Mahoney, Niagara Gazette
Advocates push for parole reform that puts rehabilitation and release first
May 30, 2021: Atyia Collins, RochesterFirst/WROC
Families of elderly convicts call for parole bill
May 29, 2021: Charles Molineaux, WHECTV News10
Advocates push to reform parole system
May 29, 2021: Dan Schrack, WHAM/ABC
As Legislative Sessions Nears End, Lawmakers Prioritize Criminal Justice Reform Bills
May 28, 2021: Karen DeWitt, WSHU
Elder parole bill gives families with incarcerated loved ones hope for a second chance
May 28, 2021: Jayne Chacko, 13WHAM
Busy June planned for New York State Legislature
May 28, 2021: Karen DeWitt, WXXI News
Community members calling on New York State to pass several parole bills
May 28, 2021: News 4 Staff, WIVB4.com
Coverage of today’s New Rochelle rally for parole justice featuring the NAACP
May 27, 2021: Jonathan Gordon, News 12, via Twitter
Changes to New York’s parole laws under consideration
May 27, 2021: Nick Reisman, City of Albany/NY State of Politics
Families with incarcerated loved ones call on lawmakers to pass parole reform bills
May 25, 2021: News 12 Staff, news12: The Bronx
Prisoners and the Pandemic: Elderly, locked up, and at risk—the life and death of the incarcerated during Covid
May 2021: Tana Ganeva and Natalie Keyssar, Rolling Stone
Activists push for parole for elderly inmates
May 18, 2021: Jacob Kaye, Queens Daily Eagle
Forgetting And Forgotten: Older Prisoners Seek Release But Fall Through The Cracks
May 11, 2021: Carrie Johnson, WXXI News
…
Activists cry ‘bring them home’ at Hinchey’s office
May 6, 2021: Kate Lisa, HudsonValley360
Op-Ed | We must end death by incarceration
The death penalty has been banned in New York since 1984, but the new death penalty is long sentences without opportunity for parole. This is death-by-incarceration. Death-by-incarceration does not make our lives any safer, costs the state hundreds of millions of dollars a year, and it is an inhumane policy...
May 6, 2021: NY Senator Brad Hoylman, AMNY
…
Parole Reforms in State Needed
April 5, 2021: Jose Saldana, Albany Times-Union
Why Crime Victims Joined the Fight for Parole Justice in New York
March 22, 2021: Victoria Law, The Appeal
Survivors’ needs and opinions vary—and many have not found justice when they turn to the criminal legal system.
2021: March
“After Half Century In Prison, Elderly Black Panther Should Not Be Left To Die”
March 28, 2021: Natasha Lennard, The Intercept
“Parole reform advocacy is personal for 26-year-old activist”
March 25, 2021: Tim Williams, WNYC/The Capital Pressroom
“Editorial: Parole needs reform”
March 25, 2021: Times Union Editorial Board, Times Union
“Why Crime Victims Joined the Fight for Parole Justice in New York”
March 22, 2021: Victoria Law, The Appeal
“Parole board’s focus on original crime suggests redemption has limits”
March 21, 2021: Amanda Fries, Edward McKinley, Times Union
…
2021: February
“State Legislature moves to restore voting rights to parolees”
February 26, 2021: Rebecca C. Lewis, City & State New York / Criminal Justice
“Show Mercy to Prisoners Who Changed”
February 26, 2021: Barry Nobel, Newsday / Opinion
“Viewpoint: Parole reforms deserve Legislature’s support”
February 25, 2021: Barbara Treen, Times Union
“Parole reform ‘prioritizes fairness over fear’ (your letters)”
February 25, 2021: Yusuf Abdul-Qadir, syracuse.com
“High time to reform N.Y.’s parole system”
February 25, 2021: TeAna Taylor, Daily Gazette
…
2021: January
“New York lawmakers to make prison visits amid push for ‘justice roadmap’ and COVID vaccinations”
January 29, 2021: Denis Slattery, New York Daily News
“600 call for parole justice: ‘Virtual rally’ urges lawmakers for Elderly Parole bill”
January 28, 2021: Stephanie Rivas, News 10/ABC and News 8/RochesterFirst
“New York Democratic Super Majority Could Lead To Parole Reform”
January 27, 2021: Charles Lane, WSHU
“La Legislatura exigida a aprobar reformas de libertad condicional por avance de COVID y la crisis fiscal”
January 27, 2021: David Ramirez, El Diario
“Advocates Across New York State Are Calling for Prison Reform”
January 27, 2021: WIVBF Buffalo
…
2020
“Sen. Brian Benjamin we want Elder Parole consideration”
December 31, 2020: Theresa Moses, Amsterdam News
“Don’t let them die of COVID in prison”
December 31, 2020: Errol Louis, New York Daily News
“State prison visitations temporarily halted as Covid-19 infections surge”
December 30, 2020: Harold McNeil, The Buffalo News
“Advocates Urge Governor Cuomo to Use His Clemency Powers for Older Prisoners”
December 30, 2020: Shanel Dawson, Spectrum News/NY1
“Sick And Frail As COVID-19 Looms: Medical Parole Still Rare in New York State”
December 30, 2020: Cindy Rodriguez, Gothamist
“‘Forsaken Land:’ City and State Officials Mum on Covid Vaccination Plans for Incarcerated New Yorkers and Correction Officers”
December 29, 2020: Ethan Geringer-Sameth, Gotham Gazette
…
2019
“Thomas Kearney talking about Release Aging People in Prison”
December 31, 2019: Hudson Mohawk Magazine, MediaSanctuary on Soundcloud
“Interviews With Five Aging NY State Prisoners Hoping for Clemency: ‘Who I Am Now Is Not Who I Was’”
December 24, 2019: Stephanie Chukwuma, Trone Dowd, Jeffery Harrell, Brenda Léon, Hannah Miller, Rosemary Misdary, Rachel Rippetoe, Maria Robins-Somerville, Sean Sanders, and Annie Todd, The Gothamist
“Ailing Inmate Pins Clemency Hopes on Cuomo”
December 23, 2019: Reuven Blau, The City
“Clemency advocates call on Cuomo to release long-serving inmates”
December 21, 2019: David Brand, Queens Daily Eagle
“They’ve been through New York’s parole system. That’s why they want to change it.”
December 20, 2019: Noah Goldberg, Brooklyn Daily Eagle
…
2018
“Officer’s alleged assault on 86-year-old inmate shines light on graying prison population”
December 29, 2018: Boston Herald
“Elderly inmates on the rise in Massachusetts, nationally”
December 29, 2018: Jonathan Ng, Boston Herald
“Prison advocates push Cuomo to commute sentences of domestic violence survivors and elderly prisoners”
December 24, 2018: Reuven Blau, New York Daily News
“Research analysis: Identifying elderly inmates’ healthcare needs”
December 19, 2018: C1 Staff, CorrectionsOne
“Bill Aims to Improve Compassionate Release of Prisoners”
December 19, 2018: Maui Now
…
2017
“With Most Older Inmates Facing Homelessness Upon Release, Dromm Passes Legislation Aimed to Bring Them Help”
December 26, 2017: Christian Murray, Jackson Heights Post
“Aging inmates: Correctional Service of Canada has strategy in the works”
December 19, 2017: Lauren Krugel, National Post/The Canadian Press
“Dromm, RAPP Campaign Hail Passage of CARE Act”
December 19, 2017: New York City Council
“Our Prison Population is Getting Older and Older”
December 11, 2017: Michelle Chen, The Nation
“On the Count: Parole and Elders Update”
December 9, 2017: Alejo Rodriguez on WBAI.org (click here to hear the entire show)
…
2016
“‘Cruel and Unusual Punishment’: Texas judge orders count of heat-related prison deaths”
December 30, 2016: RT360
“Sick inmates costing St. Joseph County more in 2016”
December 29, 2016: Suzanne Spencer, WSBT22 (Indiana)
“The Case for Clemency”
December 28, 2016: Erroll Lewis, Inside City Hall, NY1 Online (with Hawk Newsome, Alan Roskoff, and Kathryn Erbe; 10-minutes video)
“Reducing Prison population only way to save significant cash”
December 28, 2016: Mike Vasilinda, Capitol News Service (FL)
“New study shows Oklahoma prisons among the most dangerous”
December 28, 2016: Sean Murphy, Associated Press/The Daily Progress
…
2015
“When Dying Alone in Prison is Too Harsh a Sentence”
December 28, 2015: Rachael Bedard, The New York Times
“Lawmakers Consider Options for Aging Prisoners, Including Nursing Home Care”
December 27, 2015: Elizabeth Hewitt, VTDigger.org
“Release Aging People in Prison Campaign”
December 7, 2015: Law & Disorder Radio (audio)
“My Life After 44 Years in Prison”
November 2015: AlJazeera.com
“New Report Highlights Growing Number of Aging People in Prison”
November 20, 2015: Kanya d’Almeida, RH Reality Check
…
2014
“Release Aging People in Prison/RAPP: Challenging the Punishment Paradigm”December 10, 2014: Mujahid Farid and Laura Whitehorn: The Roots of Mass Incarceration: Locking Up Black Dissidents and Punishing the Poor/Socialism and Democracy special issue
“Ex-Prisoners Are Committing Fewer Crimes That Land Them Back in Jail, Authorities Say”
December 3, 2014: Jon Campbell, The Village Voice
Mujahid Farid on elders and youth behind bars (mp3), with Vanessa McKinney
November 19, 2014: Professor Ricky Jones: Unlocked, Radio WHCR 90.3 fm
“Clemency for Silver-Haired Cons is a Golden Cost-Saver”
November 5, 2014: Editorial, Orlando Sentinel
“DC’s Forgotten Residents”
November 2, 2014: A Voice From the Inside
“By 2030, American Prisons Will Be Filled With Grandmas and Grandpas”
October 27, 2014: Kate Cox, The Nation
“Nursing Homes Behind Bars”
September 28, 2014: Editorial Board, The New York Times
“You’re Old & Finally Out of Prison. What Happens Now?”
September 18, 2014: Victoria Law, The Gothamist
“Even Model NYS Inmates Face Steep Barriers to Parole”
September 17, 2014: Bill Hughes, City Limits
“Mohaman Koti, 87-Year-Old Prison Inmate, Granted Parole After 37 Years”
September 16, 2014: Albert Samaha, The Village Voice
“What’s Wrong With This Picture? Elderly People in NY’s Prisons”
September 12, 2014: Peter Wagner, Prison Policy Initiative
“Begging Cuomo for Clemency”
September 12, 2014: Editorial Board, The Bedford/Pound Ridge Record Review
“On Primary Eve, Cuomo Pressed at Home on Prisoner Clemency”
September 7, 2014: Nathan Riley, Gay City News
(Note: Laura Whitehorn, quoted in the article, spoke as representative of RAPP)
“Candle Light Vigil Near Gov. Cuomo’s Home Calls Attention to Clemency”September 6, 2014: Fios 1 News (video)
“At Conference, Experts Examine Incarceration as a Public Health Issue”
June 6, 2014: Gwen McClure, Juvenile Justice Information Exchange
Prison Voices: Mujahid Farid, Jamie Fellner, Mark Mauer, Edward Hammock (audio)
April 10, 2014: Cory Fischer-Hoffman, Wave Farm/WGXC-Hudson
RAPP’s Fight for “Basic Fairness and Decency”April 9, 2014: Nation Inside
Organization Aims to Get Elderly Prisoners Who Have Served Sentences Released (video)
March 2, 2014: Cheryl Wills, NY1 News
U.S. Prison System Resembling Huge Geriatrics Ward
Feb. 26, 2014: Kanya d’Almeida, Inter Press Service
New York’s Broken Parole System (onsite version)
Feb. 16, 2014: Editorial Board, The New York Times
“If the Risk Is Low, Let Them Go”: Efforts to Resolve the Growing Numbers of Aging Behind Bars
Jan. 19, 2014: Victoria Law, Truthout
Discussion between host Jim Vrettos (Host, The Rebbe… Radio Show), Soffiyah Elijah (E.D., Correctional Ass’n of New York) and Mujahid Farid (Director of RAPP)
Jan. 6, 2014: The Rebbe, The Radical, And The Rev Radio Show
2013
Calls Grow to Release Aging People from Prison Who Pose No Public Safety Threat
Dec. 23, 2013, Part 2: Democracy Now!
Text & video interview with Amy Goodman (Host, Democracy Now!); Soffiyah Elijah, Executive Director, Correctional Association of New York; Mujahid Farid, Director of RAPP (Release Aging People in Prison)
“If the Risk Is Low, Let Them Go”: Elderly Prison Population Skyrockets Despite Low Risk to Society
Dec. 23, 2013, Part 1: Democracy Now!
Text & video interview with Amy Goodman & Renée Feltz (Hosts, Democracy Now!); Soffiyah Elijah, Executive Director, Correctional Association of New York; Mujahid Farid, Director of RAPP (Release Aging People in Prison)
He’s Over 80, but a Convict Gets No Parole
October 8, 2013: Jim Dwyer, The New York Times
Editorial: Writing Off Lives
September 29, 2013: The Editorial Board, The New York Times
“Release Aging Prisoners Project”
September 2013: Herman Bell, FreeHermanBell.org
The Correctional Association’s New Program to Release Aged Prisoners
September 23, 2013: Law and Disorder Radio Show
Text and audio interview with Laura Whitehorn, Mujahid Farid
Op-Ed: Graying Prisoners
August 18, 2013: Jamie Fellner, New York Times
“Prisons Get Grayer, But Efforts to Release the Dying Lag”
August 6, 2013: Emma Quail, City Limits
“Aging prisoners’ costs put systems nationwide in a bind”
July 11, 2013: Kevin Johnson and H. Darr Belser, USA Today
New York State Legislature Joint Resolution Commendation J2416-2013
June 20, 2013: Senate/Assembly of New York State
“Spike in aging prison inmates creates tax turmoil in N.J.”
March 31, 2013: Jean Mikle, The Asbury Park Press
2012
“The State of Aging: Prisoners and Compassionate Release Programs”
August 23, 2012: Tina Maschi, The Huffington Post
2011
“NYSACDL Supports Call for Parole Reform”
Winter, 2011: New York State Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Atticus
“Senior Power: ‘Graying prisons,’ early release, and ‘assisted living’
January 3, 2011: Helen Ripper Wheeler, The Berkeley Daily Planet
2010
“Few Texas Inmates Get Released on Medical Parole”
June 3, 2010: Emily Ramshaw, The Texas Tribune
2006
“Growing old behind bars”
May 8, 2006: Dana DiFillipo, Philadelphia Daily News
1997
Aging Behind Bars
July 13, 1997: David C. Anderson, The New York Times Magazine
Bronx Social Justice and Anti-Violence Forums: Release Aging People in Prison
March 1, 2021: Darren C. James interviews RAPP’s Jose Saldana, BronxNet Community TV
The People’s Campaign For Parole Justice Targets the Long Island Five to Help End Mass Incarceration and Promote Racial Justice
February 22, 2021: Cyera Williams, Shades of Long Island
Two social justice groups came together on Thursday evening to call attention to New York’s prison and parole system and call on the Democratic state senators and Assemblyman Phil Ramos…
…
Governor, please release our husbands: Loved ones of inmates ask for Christmas mercy
December 23, 2020: Nawanna Snipe Tucker, Theresa Grady, Emma Pierre, and Roslyn McLeod-Abdullah, New York Daily News
Article Highlights Parole Injustices
In their December 2, 2019 issue, The New Yorker magazine published “Prepping for Parole,” a 10,000-word article by Jennifer Gonnerman exposing some of the devastating problems with the New York State Parole Board. While we, the Parole Preparation Project, and so many others have pushed the Board to release more people from prison in recent years, they still continue to deny freedom to thousands of New Yorkers in prison and their families, and communities across New York State.
The article featured the incredible work our partners at Parole Prep do with currently incarcerated people serving parole-eligible life sentences. It also featured RAPP Director, Jose Saldana, RAPP co-founder Kathy Boudin, and the devastating story of Richard Lloyd Dennis, a currently incarcerated elder who the Parole Board has denied release to 13 times.