The Legislature must reform N.Y. prisons
Nick Encalada-Malinowski, NY Daily News — With multiple delays and policy maneuvering, Gov. Hochul bullied the Legislature into the budget of her liking....
Hochul must use clemency to end prison crowding
Steve Zeidman, NY Daily News — Stanley Richards, New York City’s newly appointed Department of Correction commissioner, testified at a recent City Council hearing that Rikers Island was under acute strain and badly in need of an overhaul. In addition to the decaying physical structure, Richards highlighted a decrease in correction officer staffing levels such that people inside do not feel safe...
Gov. Hochul orders closure of another NY State prison, drawing criticism
Graham Rayman, NY Daily News — Gov. Hochul has ordered the closure of an upstate prison but opted not to close two more prisons, as had been previously approved in the state budget, managing to anger both correction officers union officials and prison reform advocates...
New York State must now focus on parole reform
Julia Salazar & Tracie Adams / NY Daily News — Thousands of New Yorkers who have served their time remain languishing behind bars. The systemic failure to release those ready to return home strains a dangerous carceral system and costs New York taxpayers billions of dollars every year. But we have safe and practical solutions available...
Let’s make parole in NYS smarter and fairer
Christina Green / NY Daily News — New York’s parole system is broken, unjust, and fiscally reckless. It undermines rehabilitation, drains taxpayer dollars, and worsens racial disparities — while failing to make our communities safer...
Inmate, 61, in upstate N.Y. prison dies in midst of correction officers’ wildcat strike
Graham Rayman / New York Daily News—Jonathan Grant, 61, was found unresponsive in his cell early Saturday at the 200-year-old maximum security prison in Auburn, N.Y., which has been operating at about 58% of capacity since well before the strike, a statement from prison officials said...
New York State’s parole board needs reform
Bryant Bell: NY Daily News — The walk to the visiting room from my dormitory took little time, but it was part of a much longer journey. When I entered the visiting room, there were about 25 incarcerated people waiting to go to the clinic area for their parole hearings. I gave my pass to the prison guard on his post and sat down next to another incarcerated person I’ll call Fred...
Racial disparities in NYC parole releases are widening, NYU study finds
By: Graham Rayman, New York Daily News - During the first four months of 2023, the state Parole Board released 45% of white prisoners who appeared before it, compared to 32.4% of all people of color who had hearings, researchers at NYU Law’s Center on Race, Inequality and the Law and the Vera Institute found...