By: Shantel Destra, City & State New York
After a jam-packed legislative session – complete with a bitter chief judge nomination fight, ongoing fights over key policy issues affecting the state and a final budget delayed by over a month – it may be hard to accept that the session is just days away from ending. But before lawmakers officially pack up to leave Albany and return to their districts for the summer, there are still several big ticket items on the docket….
Parole Reform (excerpt)
Aside from Clean Slate, criminal justice advocates have pushed for the passage of two popular parole reform bills. The Elder Parole bill would make older people who have already served more than 15 years in prison eligible for parole, while the Fair & Timely Parole bill would direct parole boards to consider evidence of people’s rehabilitation, not just the severity of their original crimes, when deciding whether to grant parole. Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez have all affirmed their support of the parole reform bills in recent months, and New York State Attorney General Letitia James signaled her support for the Elder Parole bill this week….