The state Assembly recently passed a parole reform bill that would break the cycle of re-incarceration that disproportionately affects communities of color.
Non-criminal or minor parole violations would no longer result in re-incarceration with the Less is More Parole Reform Act.
New York state sends more people to prison for minor parole violations than any other state in the country. A Columbia University study found that in 2019, 40 percent of the people sent to New York prisons were incarcerated for parole violations. Some violations include not reporting to a parole officer, living at an unapproved residence, missing curfew or failing a drug/alcohol test.
Gabriel Sayegh, co-founder of the Katal Center for Equity, Health and Justice, said it is absurd to penalize people for missing an appointment.
“When you’re trying to live in a city like this and a train or bus is late, how many of us have had that experience, but for some people on parole, that means that they can end up back incarcerated,” Sayegh said.
