NEW YORK — Today is the first day of the 2026 New York State 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 and a crime survivor, released the following statement:
“New Yorkers who have served long sentences are proving every day that we are valuable assets to our communities. Right now, there are people who survived mass incarceration and returned home to earn doctorates and law degrees, teach in top-tier universities, and work in our communities reaching at-risk young people, just as our own elders reached us while in prison. We help to support our families through the affordability crisis and end intergenerational poverty. We are a critical part of the effort to make New York a place where everyone can thrive. We do all this despite facing endless barriers erected by the state and constant demonization in the media. Elders and long-termers in the prison system have created the most effective rehabilitative programs that led to our own extraordinary transformations and those of the generations who came after us. Imagine what more of us can accomplish if given the chance to return to their loved ones and truly build our collective vision for community safety. As the New York State Legislature kicks off its session, more than a majority of legislators support passage of the Fair & Timely Parole and Elder Parole bills…