There Are Worsening Racial Disparities In New York Parole Process According To Reports

A new report by the Center on Race, Inequality, and the Law at New York University shows that racial disparities in parole decisions have worsened across New York state since 2022. It states, “Despite all of the increased scrutiny of these racial disparities in parole release decisions, the last six months show that these egregious racial disparities have remained, and even slightly worsened.” According to the report, the state’s parole board is 33% less likely to release a person of color than a white person, with a 32 percentage-point gap in release rates for 2022-2025. “There’s no rational explanation for that disparity,” said Jason Williamson, the center’s executive director and report co-author.

The report highlights how these disparities echo broader patterns of racial discrimination throughout the criminal justice system. “The disparities are getting worse,” Williamson said. “This injustice only compounds the harm of well-documented racial disparities in policing, prosecution and sentencing.” Since 2016, 4,150 more people of color could have been released if the parole board had equal release rates. Williamson attributed the gap to “implicit and explicit biases,” adding that these biases result in people of color not being given “the benefit of the doubt” like their white counterparts.

Williamson also said, “There’s a lot more that the governor could have been doing to populate the board with people who are willing to be more reasonable in entertaining these applications.” The report directly links the growing gap to the tenure of Governor Kathy Hochul, noting that most board members still serving have expired terms and many come from backgrounds in policing.

Governor Hochul’s office responded that the parole board is independent, though her office is “reviewing additional nominees.” The Department of Corrections and Community Supervision stated that the board’s decisions consider a range of statutory factors, including input from victims and their families, criminal history, accomplishments during incarceration, and the perceived risk to public safety.

Meanwhile, New York lawmakers are weighing two bills: the Fair and Timely Parole Bill, which would emphasize rehabilitation and remove a vague standard about “respect” for the law, and the Elder Parole bill, which would expand eligibility for older prisoners. Assemblymember Maritza Davila called the findings “sad, and perhaps outrageous,” while Williamson said the proposed legislation and changing the board’s composition “go hand in hand.”

Link: WXXINews