After a public outcry from lawmakers who visited Rikers Island and witnessed “deplorable and deadly conditions” suffered by those incarcerated in the complex, Governor Kathy Hochul took action Friday, Sept. 17 by signing the Less is More Act.
The “decarceration bill” will end the practice of sending people to jail as they await hearings over alleged technical parole violations, such as missed curfew and marijuana use, which is expected to release several hundred detainees from city jails.
