Let's make parole in NYS smarter and fairer

New York’s parole system is broken, unjust, and fiscally reckless. It undermines rehabilitation, drains taxpayer dollars, and worsens racial disparities — while failing to make our communities safer.

As a former prosecutor, I know our justice system can be both a tool for accountability and a driver of unnecessary incarceration. Right now, our parole system leans too heavily toward the latter, keeping many aging New Yorkers behind bars long after they’ve paid their debt to society.

The result? A growing population of elders behind bars; the state classifies people in prison as elderly at age 55, because of accelerated aging in the unhealthy prison environment. Many are no threat to public safety, yet their incarceration costs the state hundreds of millions of dollars each year while crime survivors and communities struggle to access the resources they need. These tax dollars would be better spent improving our state’s underfunded mental health services, providing housing, and improving education.

Additionally, older adults have the lowest recidivism rate — less than 5% for people aged 50-64, and less than 1% for those 65 or older — and people who are released after demonstrating rehabilitation often contribute positively to public safety as mentors, nonprofit leaders, and small business owners.

A report from New York University found that over the past three years, people of color in New York were 32% less likely to be granted parole despite being eligible — a racial disparity that has grown by a staggering 70% over the past 10 years. If release rates had been equal for all people since 2016, as many as 3,800 people of color would be home, helping to support their families. These numbers underscore the uncomfortable truth that systemic bias shapes parole decisions, keeping people incarcerated based on factors unrelated to their rehabilitation.

Thankfully, the State Legislature is considering legislation to fix our broken parole system. The Elder Parole bill would grant case-by-case parole consideration to people 55 and older who have already served at least 15 years. The state parole board would still assess people’s individual merit and no one would be released based on their age. The Fair and Timely Parole Act would restore the parole board to its original purpose of evaluating candidates based on their rehabilitation and readiness for release rather than reflexively denying parole due to the nature of their original conviction.

Both bills recognize that people can change, though neither mandates anyone’s release. Together, they would save New York $522 million annually.

These bills are supported by civil rights organizations, district attorneys, faith leaders, and crime survivor advocates who recognize that justice should be about taking accountability and changing one’s behavior, not endless punishment.

Critics argue that parole reform might jeopardize public safety by allowing dangerous individuals back into society. But these bills do not offer release to just anyone — they simply ensure the parole board assesses readiness based on clear, consistent criteria that serve public safety, not permanent punishment.

Based on my experiences in law enforcement, I believe in both accountability and second chances. Ultimately, we must recognize when continued incarceration serves no purpose beyond simply warehousing a person.

New York faces a choice: cling to outdated policies that keep people imprisoned long after they have been rehabilitated or embrace reforms that reduce racial disparities, save taxpayer dollars, and strengthen communities. Fair & Timely Parole and Elder Parole are not radical ideas. They are practical, just, and save New Yorkers money. It’s time to act.

This guest essay reflects the views of Christina Green, staff attorney at Fair and Just Prosecution and a resident of Suffolk County.