RAPP Campaign

Release Aging People in Prison Campaign

Bobbi Cobaugh

Parole 101: People in Prison Deserve Second Chances

Nazish Dholakia, Vera Inst. of Justice — Bobbi Cobaugh wrote in Inquest that “the only way to atone for a murder was to become a better person.” While incarcerated in the New York State prison system, she earned a paralegal degree, associate and bachelor's degrees in sociology, and a master’s degree in criminal justice. She has completed—and taught—anger replacement programs. And she attends trauma counseling weekly...

Read moreParole 101: People in Prison Deserve Second Chances

When parole boards are allowed to give the original crime more weight than proof of change, they become an absurdist theater of foregone conclusions

Bobbi Cobaugh / Inquest — When I entered prison, I followed the rehabilitative trail of breadcrumbs set out for me. I was repeatedly told to maintain a clean disciplinary record, obtain an education, sign up for industry jobs, pet the trauma pony, and train a bomb-sniffing dog. Correctional employees encouraged me to embrace these programs so I could honor my victim and redeem my life. I was told, “New Yorkers believe in second chances.” ...

Read moreWhen parole boards are allowed to give the original crime more weight than proof of change, they become an absurdist theater of foregone conclusions