ALBANY, NY – FWD.us New York State Director of Criminal Justice Reform Rodney Holcombe issued the following statement today in response to The Fair & Timely Parole Act (S1415/A4231) passing the Assembly Correction Committee:

“We are elated that this long overdue reform that would begin providing meaningful opportunities for parole release, passed out of the Assembly Correction Committee today. New York’s current parole system routinely denies release based solely on the crime of conviction and worse, Black and Latino people are denied release at higher rates than their white counterparts. The Fair and Timely Parole Act is a critical move toward increasing parole release rates and decreasing racial disparities, two necessities as New York continues to grapple with its incarceration crisis.

Now, it’s important Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, Codes Committee Chair, advances the bill in the Codes Committee so that it can be heard by the full Assembly. We also urge the Legislature to take up Elder Parole (S15/A3475), which would expand eligibility for parole release to older New Yorkers and begin addressing the worsening aging crisis in New York prisons. These reforms will begin the work of reconnecting families and providing real opportunities for people to rejoin and contribute to their communities. It’s critical that we pass both these parole reforms this session.”