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In the News

You are here: Home / Press / In the News

Heart Failure: Medical Runaround Keeps Man Locked in State Prison Two Years After Being Paroled

August 7, 2022: Reuven Blau, The City

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The Resounding Right of Mutulu Shakur to Die in Freedom

July 31, 2022: susie day, CounterPunch+

Mutulu Shakur and his codefendant Marilyn Buck at the Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) in Manhattan, 1987. Photo: Trella Laughlin.

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Governor Hochul’s ‘Rolling’ Clemency Process Has Set Just One Person Free

July 25, 2022: Victoria Law, Hell Gate

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Former convicts deserve better

July 24, 2022: Eddie Gibbs, NY Daily News
Gibbs is the first and only formerly incarcerated member of the Legislature, representing East Harlem in the NY State Assembly

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Advocates question Hochul’s unfulfilled promise to staff parole board

July 11, 2022: Kate Lisa, NYS Spectrum News 1

Advocates question Hochul’s empty vow to staff parole board

read/watch here

The Graying of America’s Prison Population

June 23, 2022: Audrey Nielson, The Crime Report

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New York parole reformers, after seeing their policy push stall, now look past the November elections

June 23, 2022: Arun Venugopal, Gothamist

Advocates for parole reform visited Albany to press lawmakers for changes. In the end, two promising pieces of legislation stalled.
Arun Venugopal / Gothamist

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Will a Judge Force Cancer-Stricken Black Elder Mutulu Shakur to Die Behind Bars?

June 22, 2022: Natasha Lennard, The Intercept

Mutulu Shakur in 2012
Photo: Courtesy of Friends and Family of Dr. Shakur

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I Joined the Parole Board to Make a Difference. Now I Call It ‘Conveyor Belt Justice.’

Between the grueling schedule, copious paperwork, abrupt hearings and risk-averse colleagues, prison reformer Carol Shapiro realized the New York parole system was dysfunctional by design

June 17, 2021: Carol Shapiro as told to Beth Schwartzapfel, The Marshall Project

Carol Shapiro, Artist and Activist

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Uptick in crime helps kill 2 New York parole bills

June 6, 2022: Susan Arbetter, Spectrum News/Capital Tonight

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What’s In, What’s Out: 2022 State Legislative Session Ends with Major Policy Decisions

June 4, 2022: Ethan Geringer-Sameth, Gotham Gazette

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Protestors erect prison graveyard outside New York Capitol amid prison crisis

June 1, 2022: Isabel Song Beer, AMNY

Protestors erect prison graveyard outside NY Capitol amid Rikers crisis. May 31, 2022 Courtesy of Release Aging People in Prison (RAPP) ri

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ALBANY: Activists Demand Parole Justice

CBS 6: More than 70 New Yorkers, disproportionately Black elders, are projected to die in prison during the legislative recess if lawmakers don’t act. We’ve got enough support to pass Elder Parole and Fair & Timely Parole but we need @AndreaSCousins & @CarlHeastie to call a vote...

May 31, 2022: J.T. Fetch, CBS 6 News, WRGB Albany

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Commentary: A victim and a man doing time for murder agree – we need to end violence

May 26, 2022: Kathleen Pequeño and Leroy Taylor, Times Union

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Freed from a double-life sentence, a long-imprisoned New Yorker urges Albany to find relief for others

May 19, 2022, Arun Venugopal, Gothamist

Gregory Mingo, 69, served nearly 4 decades in prison before former Gov. Andrew Cuomo commuted his 50-year sentence. Mingo was convicted in the 1980 murders of Queens residents James Parker and Karen Sheets. He has always maintained his innocence.
ARUN VENUGOPAL/GOTHAMIST

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How the pandemic affected incarcerated people and their loved one

While incarcerated people were left to suffer behind prison walls during the first waves of the pandemic, their families were left to worry in the dark

May 16, 2022: Aiyuba Thomas and Tommaso Bardelli, Prism

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Advocates for parole reform make a pitch to lawmakers in Albany

May 11, 2022: Arun Venugopal, Gothamist

Advocates for parole reform visited Albany to draw attention to pending legislative proposals.
Arun Venugopal / Gothamist

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New York’s longest serving inmate who murdered 14-year-old granted parole

May 10, 2022: Panagiotis Argitis, Dan Gross, RochesterFirst.com/WROC

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The Past Doesn’t Change But People Absolutely Do

May 9, 2022: Melissa Tanis, Amplified Voices: Criminal Legal Reform Advocates with Lived Experience (Spotify podcast)

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Parole justice will be in focus at Bedford Playhouse

May 6, 2022: Jeff Morris, The Record-Review

“The Interview,” a documentary by Jon Miller and Zach Russo

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The Aging of the US Prison Population: A Public Health Crisis

May, 2022: Jonathan S. Bor, HealthAffairs.org (Health Affairs, vol 41, no.5)

Incarcerated for thirty-eight years, Jose Saldaña was released from prison at age 66. Today he leads the New York City–based Release Aging People in Prison, a grassroots organization dedicated to parole reform.

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Another Voice: New York criminal law must value the possibilities of redemption

April 29, 2022: Amber Vlangas, The Buffalo News

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Elder Parole proposal draws applause and jeers

April 29. 2022: Adam Chodak, RochesterFirst.com / WROC

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Lawmakers and advocates push for parole reform as leg­islative session comes to a close

April 29, 2022: Spectrum News Staff, Spectrum News 1

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Op-Ed: We must provide more support to victims & survivors

April 26, 2022: New York State Assemblyperson Anna Kelles, The Ithaca Voice

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Advocates push for three bills to end cycle of violence

April 25, 2022: Amal Tlaige, myChamplainValley.com

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Crime victims groups push parole overhaul in New York

Signers on the letter first shared with POLITICO argued that victims are not always served by the harshest punishments

April 25, 2022: Erin Durkin, POLITICO Pro

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Don’t speak for crime victims — just listen to us

April 24, 2022: Luz Marquez Bembow, The Riverdale Press

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Advocates rally for passage of elder parole reform in Rochester

April 20, 2022: Spectrum News Staff, Rochester, Spectrum News 1

read/watch here

12 Issues to Watch in Albany’s Post-Budget Legislative Session

April 20, 2022: Samar Khurshid, Gotham Gazette

Legislative leaders Stewart-Cousins and Heastie (photo: Kevin P. Coughlin/Office of the Governor)

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Instead of Punishment, You Need a Movement: Why RAPP Leaves No One Behind

Laura Whitehorn and Jose Saldaña in RAPP’s office

April 8, 2022: susie day, Jose Saldaña, Laura Whitehorn, Verso Blog

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Eleventh-hour push to prevent changes to state’s bail laws

April 6, 2022, Mary Rink and Evelyn F. Preston, Gazette staff writers, The Legislative Gazette

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Parole Justice Now: Confronting Death by Incarceration in New York

March 22, 2022: Jonah Walters, Nonprofit Quarterly

Image Source: Hasan Almasi on Unsplash

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More crimes to be eligible for bail in Gov. Hochul’s reported bail reform reboot

March 18, 2022: Chase Houle, 13/ABC/WHAM

Shay Herbert RAPP Rochester organizer

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Senior citizens serving federal sentences have fallen through the cracks

March 18, 2022: Carrie Johnson, NPR/WNYC

listen/read here

Letter: Endless incarceration not the answer

March 11, 2022: Chel Miller, Times Union

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A second chance: How the parole justice movement has gained steam in New York state

February 25, 2022: Robbie Sequeira, Bronx Times

Perhaps no one knows the importance of a second chance more than Donna Hylton, whose chronicled her life journey from childhood trauma to prison and beyond in her memoir “A Little Piece of Light.” Photo courtesy Donna Hylton

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Another Voice: State should grant parole to people who don’t need to be in prison

February 24, 2022: Stephen Hart, The Buffalo News

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Push for parole bills continues in New York

February 21, 2022: Kara Burnett, NY1/Spectrum News

Trent Griffin used his time on parole as a second chance. Reform advocates continue to call on New York to pass new parole laws to make it easier for people in prison to earn release.

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Dinowitz needs to take fresh look at elder parole reform

February 20, 2022: Madeline Ritter, The Riverdale Press

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Lawmakers must finally make elder parole reform

February 14, 2022: Jessica Altagracia Woolford, The Riverdale Press

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Zombie Commissioners and Antiquated Structure Poses Hurdles for Parole Reform

Governor Kathy Hochul says she will finally fill vacancies on the state’s parole board, opening the potential to shift from presumptive detention

February 8, 2022: Nick Pinto, New York Focus/Bolts

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Honoring Black History Month/Parole Justice

February 8, 2022: Lydia Kulbida, News10/ABC

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Calls for Parole Justice

February 8, 2022: News 12/Brooklyn

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Pushing for parole reform

Black History month is more than celebrating, it’s about looking at issues impacting people of color

February 8, 2022: Claudine Ewing, WGRZ

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Rev. Al Sharpton to endorse Albany bills that would ease parole of older prisoners

February 7, 2022: Graham Rayman, New York Daily News

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First COVID death confirmed at Greene Correctional Facility

January 25, 2022: Ted Remsnyder, NNY360

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Let more aging New Yorkers out of prison

January 25, 2022: THERESA GRADY, JEANNIE COLON, LISETTE NIEVES and NAWANNA TUCKER, NY Daily News

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Union awaits prison visitation results

January 22, 2022: Ted Remsnyder, HudsonValley360/Columbia-Greene Media

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Progressive Lawmakers Push ‘Justice Agenda’ in Albany for 2022 Session

January 20, 2022: Darrell Camp, new york NOW/wmht

photo credit: New York NOW

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Op-Ed: From Dr. King’s Dream to Parole Justice

January 19, 2022: Dr. Deborah Jenkins, Norwood News

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. mural
Photo by Christian Rice via Flickr

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New York criminal justice advocates warn of parole ‘crisis’

January 19, 2022: Tim Williams / Susan Arbetter, State of Politics / Capital Tonight, Spectrum News

Susan Arbetter talks to Carol Shapiro

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Healing happens through redemption, not endless punishment. Reform parole in NY (Guest Opinion by Clifford Ryan)

January 17, 2022: Clifford Ryan, Syracuse.com

Clifford Ryan holds one of his signs that proclaim, “O.G’s against violence.” He says leaders need to be role models for the behavior they want: “You can’t meet aggression with aggression.” 2016 file photo/Dennis Nett

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Caucus lawmakers outline 2022 agenda for Albany

January 17, 2022: Nick Reisman, Spectrum News1

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State comptroller: Aging prison population means higher costs for New York

January 13, 2022: The Citizen staff, The Citizen/auburnpub.com

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DiNapoli: New York’s prison population has gotten smaller and older

January 13, 2022: Nick Reisman, NY1/Spectrum News

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Criminal justice advocates, lawmakers call for passage of parole reform bills

January 12, 2022: Thomas O’Neil-White, WBFO/NPR

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Advocates on both sides speak to parole reform bills

January 11, 2022: Liz Bishop, WRGB/CBS

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State Lawmakers Push for Bills that Grant Parole to Older, Low-Risk Inmates

Lawmakers, people with loved ones in prison, and two DAs yesterday called for passage of the Elder Parole and Fair & Timely Parole bill

January 5, 2022: Cheryl Wills, Spectrum NY1

Cheryl Wills, NY1

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Manhattan DA Bragg Tells Staff to Stop Prosecuting Certain Offenses

January 4, 2022: Gwynne Hogan, WNYC/Gothamist

Craig Ruttle/AP/Shutterstock

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Lawmakers & advocates discuss parole reforms ahead of new legislative session

January 4, 2022: J.T. Fetch, WRGB Albany/News 6

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Parole reform should top legislative agenda, advocates say

January 4, 2022: Rachel Vick, Queens Daily Eagle

Assemblyman David Weprin, D-Richmond Hill, stands with advocates urging parole reform legislation at the state Capitol on Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2019, in Albany, N.Y. (AP Photo/Hans Pennink)

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Inmate at Attica dies of COVID-19

December 29, 2021: WGRZ Staff, WGRZTV

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Final reprieve: Hochul grants clemency to 10 individuals before the New Year

December 29, 2021: Dean Moses, AMNY

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Hochul calls for reforms as she grants clemency to 10 people, Advocates ‘heartbroken’ by the lack of breadth of Hochul’s actions

December 24, 2021: Joshua Solomon, Times Union

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New York’s Prisons Are Turning Into Senior-Citizen Centers

December 23, 2021: Errol Louis, Intelligencer, New York magazine

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All They Want for the Holidays Is for Their Loved Ones to Come Home From Prison

December 23, 2021: Victoria Law, Truthout

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Clemency Seekers Renew Their Hope to Be Home for the Holidays

December 23, 2021: Patrick Dodson, Albany Proper

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Commentary: Parole bills offer a path to healing and to gender justice

December 15, 2021: Anna Kelles and Jessica González-Rojas, Times Union

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Free Mutulu Campaign Celebrates Human Rights Day With A ‘Fête For Freedom’

December 10, 2021: Anoa Changa, NewsOne.com

Mutulu Shakur, 1986. (Hughes, Jim, New York Daily News)

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Criminal justice reformers want to go beyond bail

December 7, 2021: Rebecca C. Lewis, City & State New York

The Center for Community Alternative’s reform agenda rally. Photo: Center for Community Alternatives

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A Terrible Catch-22

December 6, 2021: David Leonhardt, New York Times

Garr Keith Hardin and his co-defendant Jeffrey Clark, wrongfully convicted in 1995, spent more than 20 years in prison for a crime they didn’t commit. They were finally declared innocent. Photo: Maggie Huber

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Eligible for Release in 2016, Mutulu Shakur Remains Behind Bars With Worsening Cancer

December 2, 2021: Natasha Lennard, The Intercept

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‘Elder Parole’ advocates hone in on majority Senate support

December 1, 2021: David Lombardo, The Capitol Pressroom

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Advocates, Jumaane Williams urge Hochul to use clemency power

November 24, 2021: Nick Reisman, Spectrum NY1

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AMNY Exclusive: Families of incarcerated set rally on Tuesday for fair parole laws

November 22, 2021: Dean Moses, AMNY

Janette Colon and José Colon

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How Former Prisoners View the Parole System

November 17, 2021: Film by Jon Miller and Zach Russo; text by Sumit Poudyal, The New Yorker

read/watch here

Parole reform isn’t done

November 17, 2021: NY Assembly Member Phara Souffrant Forrest, AMNY Op-Ed

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On Rikers Island, a Doctor Who Tends to the Oldest and Sickest

November 12, 2021: Ted Alcorn, New York Times

Dr. Rachael Bedard, director of Geriatrics and Complex Care Services for NYC’s jail system, outside North Infirmary Command at Rikers Island (Credit: Brittainy Newman for The New York Times)

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Advocacy Group Demands Gov. Hochul Increase Clemencies as NY Announces Plan to Close 6 Prisons

November 11, 2021: Amy Goodman, Democracy Now

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Advocates want Hochul to use clemency powers for older inmates

November 10, 2021: Henry Rosoff, News 10

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Why New York Is Closing 6 Prisons

November 9, 2021: Luis Ferré-Sadurní, New York Times

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Criminal justice reform advocates call on Gov. Hochul to grant more clemencies than Cuomo

November 9, 2021: Noah Goldberg, NY Daily News

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Prison officials to close 6 facilities in New York state

November 8, 2021: Nick Reisman, Spectrum News 1

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New York to Close 6 Prisons, Including Seneca County Drug Treatment Center

November 8, 2021: Jeremy Boyer, Auburn Pub

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New York state will close six prisons, citing 31-year low in inmate population

November 8, 2021: Denis Slattery and Graham Rayman, New York Daily News

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Southport Correctional Facility among 6 NY prisons to close in 2022

November 8, 2021: Tiffany Cusaac-Smith, The Evening Tribune

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Jose Saldaña to NYT: Parole Aging Prisoners

November 2, 2021: Jose Saldaña, New York Times

read here (scroll down)

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More Than A Number

Older New Yorkers are dying in state prisons at an alarming rate. Once and for all, they need to come home to their families.

October 27, 2021: Wilfredo Laracuente, Inquest

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Morir en una prisión neoyorquina, la nueva pena de muerte

October 25, 2021: Agencia EFE

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Disabled and Abandoned in New York State Prisons

October 25, 2021: Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg, The Nation

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Let the Punishment Fit the Crime

October 23, 2021: Ben Austen and Khalil Gibran Muhammad, The New York Times

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NAACP’s Hazel Dukes calls on Gov. Hochul to back New York parole reforms

October 18, 2021: Denis Slattery, New York Daily News

Dr. Hazel N. Dukes, president of the NAACP NY State Conference & NY Gov. Hochul in NYC. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

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New report on prison deaths comes as New York lawmakers push for reforms

October 15, 2021: Ashley Hupfl, WAMC Northeast Public Radio

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About 1,300 died in NY state prisons in the last decade, research shows

October 13, 2021: Tiffany Cusaac-Smith, lohud.

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Report outlines death rates for older adults incarcerated in New York

October 12, 2021: Rachel Vick, Queens Daily Eagle

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More older New Yorkers dying in prison — even as overall deaths drop

October 12, 2021: Noah Goldberg, New York Daily News

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Report says New York State prison system has created ‘a new death penalty’

October 11, 2021: Gloria Pazmino, Spectrum NY1 Exclusive

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Elderly prisoners pose little risk, so why won’t the state let some of them free?

October 2, 2021: The Editorial Board, Boston Globe

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Ending New York’s Love Affair with Life Sentences

September 20, 2021: Anthony Dixon, Gotham Gazette

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Gov. Hochul should use her powers to end harsh prison sentences (Guest Opinion by Martin Garbus)

September 16, 2021: Martin Garbus, syracuse.com

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Women in New York prisons complain of contaminated water after Hurricane Ida

September 14, 2021: Char Adams, NBC News

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Attica prison riot hardened attitudes on incarceration but also planted seeds for reform

September 13, 2021: Tiffany Cusaac-Smith, lohud.

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50 years later, the struggle of Attica continues. New York must do better

September 9, 2021: Jose Saldaña, lohud.

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A half-century after Attica, prisoners’ demands have not been met

September 8, 2021: Marvin Mayfield, New York Daily News

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Parole advocates urge legislature to pass reform bills

September 1, 2021: Rachel Vick, Queens Daily Eagle

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Advocates rally in Albany for parole reform bills

September 1, 2021: Kate Lisa, NNY360

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Rally at Capitol urges passage of clean slate, parole justice bills

September 1, 2021: WRGB Staff, CBS6 Albany

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“Extraordinary session” ready for Wednesday to tackle evictions

August 31, 2021: Joshua Solomon, Times Union

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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

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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

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David Gilbert, Ex-Weather Underground Member, Granted Clemency by Cuomo. Will Parole Board Free Him?

August 24, 2021: Amy Goodman, Steve Zeidman, Democracy Now!

watch/read here

Cuomo gives clemency to 6, including Brink’s heist driver

August 24, 2021: Associated Press, WWNY 7 News

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Cuomo grants 6 more clemencies before leaving office

August 24, 2021: Jacob Kaye, Queens Daily Eagle

Greg Mingo was one of six men to have their applications for clemency granted by former Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Aug. 23, 2021. Photo courtesy of the Free Greg Mingo campaign

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Despite Recent Batches Of Clemencies, Prison Reform Advocates Feel Let Down By Cuomo

August 24, 2021: Jim O’Grady, Gothamist

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Advocates urge Cuomo to use clemency power during his final days in office

August 20, 2021: Monica Espitia, Spectrum News/NY1

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As Cuomo leaves office, advocates look to the new administration

August 20, 2021: Morgan McKay, Spectrum News/NY1

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Cuomo grants clemency on his way out

August 18, 2021: Jacob Kaye, Queens Daily Eagle

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In last days in office, Cuomo grants 10 clemencies. Could he have done more?

August 18, 2021: Tiffany Cusaac-Smith, lohud.

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In Kathy Hochul, reform advocates see hope but proceed with caution

August 17, 2021: Tiffany Cusaac-Smith, Democrat & Chronicle

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Op-ed: The next Manhattan DA must help fix the incarceration crisis

August 15, 2021: Mark Shervington, AM/NY

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Activists hold vigil for man who died in prison after being denied parole

August 9, 2021: Jacob Kaye, Queens Daily Eagle

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Lawmakers must reconvene and pass parole reform for community safety

July 30, 2021: TeAna Taylor, The Daily Gazette, Guest Column

Photographer: Mark Mahoney

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Commentary: Gov. Cuomo, take the reins on elder parole reform

July 16, 2021: Steve Zeidman, Times Union

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Advocating for Elder Parole and Release

July 13, 2021: Karl Shallowhorn interviews RAPP’s Donna Robinson, Color Me Healthy on Facebook

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Survivors of Crime Can Speak for Ourselves – Pass Parole Reform

June 28, 2021: Melissa Tanis, AMNY

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Parole reform can free inequality

June 26, 2021: Luz Marquez Benbow, Times Union

Photo: Tyswan Stewart / Times Union

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Parole reform advocates call for lawmakers to hold special session

June 25, 2021: Corina Cappabianca, NY Capitol News

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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

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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

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Advocates urge parole reform in final hours of New York’s legislative session

June 10, 2021: Rachel Vick, Queens Daily Eagle

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NYS Legislative Session Draws To A Quieter Close

June 10, 2021: Karen Dewitt, WAMC

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New York’s elderly incarcerated population is growing—it’s time to let them go home

June 9, 2021: Tamar Sarai Davis, Prism News

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Advocates for Parole Reform Camp Outside Capitol in Final Days of Session

June 9, 2021: Capital Region News

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‘In There To Die:’ Astoria Mother Calls For Elder Parole Reform

June 9, 2021: Kayla Levy, Patch 

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Parole push grows louder after Less is More deal reached

June 8, 2021: Kate Lisa, NNY360

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Parole Changes In The Spotlight As New York’s Legislative Session Ends

June 8, 2021: Darrell Camp, WSKG/NPR/PBS

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Sleepout at Capitol supports parole reform bills

June 8, 2021: WRGB Staff, CBS6/Albany

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Parole reform advocates camp outside New York State Capitol

June 8, 2021: Subrina Dhammi, WNYT News Channel 13

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Campaign targets state parole system reform

June 7, 2021: Johairy Delacruz, Rochester Beacon

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Final push for parole reforms head to New York Democratic leadership

June 7, 2021: Joshua Solomon, Times Union

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Advocates continue to urge lawmakers to pass parole reform bills before session ends

June 7, 2021: Corina Cappabianca, Capitol News, WETM TV 18

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Parole reform advocates rally at state Capitol

June 7, 2021: WNYT Staff, WNYT News Channel 13

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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

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NYS can make its parole laws more just

June 7, 2021: Julie Garcia, former district attorney of Essex County, Newsday / Opinion

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NY lawmakers mull criminal justice bills as session wraps

June 6, 2021: Marina Villeneuve, Associated Press

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New York Can’t Allow Its Prisons to Become Nursing Homes

June 6, 2021: Brie Williams, MD, Empire Report

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Will this be the year for parole reform?

June 4, 2021, Morgan McKay, Spectrum News1 / Susan Arbetter, Capital Tonight

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Activists sharpen call for parole reform

June 4, 2021: Kate Lisa, NNY360

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Community groups rally for passage of parole justice, clean slate and New York for All legislation

June 3, 2021: midhudsonnews.com

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NAACP join push for parole reform in New York

June 1, 2021: Denis Slattery, New York Daily News

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Another Voice: Incarcerated people deserve a second chance at life

June 1, 2021: Deacon Jerome Wright, The Buffalo News

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Billboard campaign seeks to push parole reform bills

June 1, 2021: Nick Reisman, State of Politics/Spectrum News

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5 things to know as the legislative session ends in Albany

June 1, 2021: Nick Reisman, Spectrum News1

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Aging and dying behind prison bars

May 31, 2021: Amy Fettig, New York Daily News

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Lawmakers wrestle with parole bills as session deadline nears

May 30, 2021: Joe Mahoney, Niagara Gazette

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Advocates push for parole reform that puts rehabilitation and release first

May 30, 2021: Atyia Collins, RochesterFirst/WROC

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Families of elderly convicts call for parole bill

May 29, 2021: Charles Molineaux, WHECTV News10

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Advocates push to reform parole system

May 29, 2021: Dan Schrack, WHAM/ABC

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As Legislative Sessions Nears End, Lawmakers Prioritize Criminal Justice Reform Bills

May 28, 2021: Karen DeWitt, WSHU

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Elder parole bill gives families with incarcerated loved ones hope for a second chance

May 28, 2021: Jayne Chacko, 13WHAM

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Busy June planned for New York State Legislature

May 28, 2021: Karen DeWitt, WXXI News

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Community members calling on New York State to pass several parole bills

May 28, 2021: News 4 Staff, WIVB4.com

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Coverage of today’s New Rochelle rally for parole justice featuring the NAACP

May 27, 2021: Jonathan Gordon, News 12, via Twitter

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Changes to New York’s parole laws under consideration

May  27, 2021: Nick Reisman, City of Albany/NY State of  Politics

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Families with incarcerated loved ones call on lawmakers to pass parole reform bills

May 25, 2021: News 12 Staff, news12: The Bronx

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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

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Activists push for parole for elderly inmates

May 18, 2021: Jacob Kaye, Queens Daily Eagle

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Forgetting And Forgotten: Older Prisoners Seek Release But Fall Through The Cracks

May 11, 2021: Carrie Johnson, WXXI News

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Activists cry ‘bring them home’ at Hinchey’s office

May 6, 2021: Kate Lisa, HudsonValley360

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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

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Thousands of New Yorkers are in Prison for Life. These D.A. Candidates Want to Change That

Manhattan D.A. candidates vow to reduce lengthy sentences—but sharp differences between their approaches remain

April 28, 2021: Sam Mellins, New York Focus

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Parole Reforms in State Needed

April 5, 2021: Jose Saldana, Albany Times-Union

Read Here

After Half Century In Prison, Elderly Black Panther Should Not Be Left To Die

March 28, 2021: Natasha Lennard, The Intercept

Read Here

Parole reform advocacy is personal for 26-year-old activist

March 25, 2021: Tim Williams, WNYC/The Capitol Pressroom

Listen Here

Editorial: Parole needs reform

March 25, 2021: Times Union Editorial Board, Times Union

Read Here

Why Crime Victims Joined the Fight for Parole Justice in New York

March 22, 2021: Victoria Law, The Appeal

Read Here

Parole board’s focus on original crime suggests redemption has limits

March 21, 2021: Amanda Fries, Edward McKinley, Times Union

Read Here

Advocates, NY lawmakers eye parole reform for women inmates

March 17, 2021: Robert Harding, AuburnPub.com

Read Here

Freeing Aging Prisoners with Jose Saldana

March 12, 2021: What We Don’t Know, Stereotype Studio

Listen Here

Meanwhile In Albany, Lawmakers Consider An Ambitious Array Of Criminal Justice Reforms

March 11, 2021: Christopher Robbins, Gothamist

Read Here

Release Our Elderly from Prison

March 7,  2021: Silvia Blumenfeld, The Riverdale Press

Read Here

Parole reforms would be worthwhile

March 5, 2021: Bernice Mennis, Albany Times-Union

Read Here

With Cuomo ‘Reeling’ During Budget Season, State Lawmakers Are Poised To Take Power

March 2, 2021: Christopher Robbins, Gothamist

Read Here

Parole reform is badly needed to save New Yorkers’ lives and reunite New York families

March 1, 2021: Michelle Lind, USA Today/lohud.com

Read Here

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

Watch Here

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

…

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.

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

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