• JOIN THE FIGHT: Sign on-line petition • CHART: Take a look at the numbers On February 5, 2008 Senator Leibell and members of the New York State Senate Majority Conference joined with the family of fallen New York City Police Officer Harry Ryman to announce the introduction of comprehensive legislation that will dramatically strengthen the State’s parole laws to help restrict the release of potentially dangerous violent felons.
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Since Governor Spitzer has taken office, there has been an alarming increase in the parole release rates for A-1 violent felons. Data from the New State Division of Parole shows that A-1 violent felons appearing for the first time before the Parole Board are now being released at a rate 180 percent higher than during Governor George Pataki’s last term in office.
The legislation to be advanced by the Senate Majority would: · Require at least 3 Parole Board members to conduct parole hearings for inmates convicted of a class A felony, and require a unanimous vote for parole to be granted in these cases (Presently, only a majority vote is required.);· Require the Division of Parole to maintain a listing of inmates and their parole eligibility dates, along with other relevant data, on their web site;· Allow victims who did not choose to receive notice of parole hearings at the time of the inmate's conviction to elect to do so at a later date;· Require the Division’s web site to provide a mechanism enabling victims of all crimes, not just violent crimes, to register to receive notice of when their perpetrator will appear before the Parole Board for a hearing. The web site must also provide a notice of their rights as a victim to make either a written or oral statement to the Board;· Require the Parole Board to give notice to victims who have requested to be notified of a proposed parole hearing, and their rights as victim to make either a written or oral statement to the board;· Require the Division of Parole to provide an annual report to the State Legislature on all parole releases, release rates and other information; and· Mandate that the Division of Parole must contact the local District Attorney in the county where a crime was committed, whenever an A-felon or Violent Felony Offender comes up for parole.
According to the Senate Majority, the dramatic increase in parole rates is in keeping with a troubling pattern that has emerged since Governor Spitzer first took office – a pattern that will serve to weaken the state’s criminal justice system and place the public at greater risk. Elements of this pattern include the following: · The Governor’s proposed budget calls for the closure of four correctional facilities across the State;· The Governor’s proposed budget would dramatically expand the State’s "compassionate release" policies for inmates, including A-1 felons. The proposal would effectively change the law so that inmates who have a "permanent" illness can be released without intensive supervision (At the present time, only "terminally ill" inmates can be released, and these individuals are only released under intensive supervision.); and · In November of 2007, news reports revealed the fact that the Spitzer administration and Board of Parole were quietly negotiating a court settlement that would have dramatically altered the governance of parole hearings in order to favor the rights of violent criminals, including notorious killers such as David Berkowitz, the "Son-of-Sam." Under the proposed settlement, cop killers and other vicious criminals would have received additional opportunities to seek early parole, while also being empowered to select the parole officer of their choice. Strong opposition from the Senate Majority led the Administration to abandon these negotiations.
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