(New York) – Today, on the final day of New York State’s 2025 Legislative Session, Jose Saldaña, Director of the Release Aging People in Prison Campaign (RAPP) and a survivor of 38 years in New York State prisons, released the following statement:
“As a survivor of 38 years in prison, I want to thank all of those who have joined the struggle for parole justice and more. I’m especially grateful to the families with incarcerated loved ones and those who have endured long sentences like me for overcoming the despair the state seeks to instill in us and helping to lead the fight. There was a time when many of us behind bars were under the impression that those on the outside were not aware of our ordeals but now the word is out that our communities are rising up and will not rest until our elders, our mentors, and all of our people at the very least have a fair pathway home. I also thank those legislators who represented the concerns of their communities and truly fought alongside us, even as their colleagues and leaders failed to act…