“New York needs to do better; aging and elderly people shouldn’t be left behind as younger people continue to benefit from the state’s overall decline in incarceration. The state can begin by making these further changes:
Seat more people on the board to combat understaffing and dismissing those who abuse and misuse their positions
End the use of the “nature of the crime” as a factor in parole decisions
Give more weight to people’s accomplishments while incarcerated
Institute a meaningful presumption of release at first eligibility
Acknowledge the fact that elderly people pose no substantial risk to public safety.“
Prison Policy Initiative
November 1, 2018