Local law enforcement leaders are expressing concerns about a new reform that addresses technical violations for parolees.
Under the new reform, signed into law last week by Gov. Kathy Hochul, the practice of incarcerating parolees for violations such as missing curfew or an appointment with a parole officer will no longer be in effect.
Advocates for the measure like the co-founder of Unchained, Emily Napier Singletary, say the law is necessary in order to help reduce recidivism and allow parolees the chance to fully reenter society.
"You're taking people who are trying to reintegrate into society restart their lives after serving their prison sentences and being properly released from prison after serving that time," she says.
"They might have found a job, they might have reunited with their family and found stable housing, they might be pursuing education and something as simple as getting home late, or something that requires help rather than punishment, like a substance use issue, can erase all of that progress," she adds.
Tuesday, several local law enforcement leaders criticized the new measure, citing an alleged lack of communication from Albany on the matter and concern about parolees who were released.
Gates Police Chief James VanBrederode said police received rescinding orders for 22 parole violation warrants. Seventeen of those parolees, he said, were released.
VanBrederode did not release the names of those who were released, however, he said some are persons of interest in active investigations.
“We have some grave concerns of who was released and exactly what their backgrounds are, and in typical fashion we are playing catch-up to figure out who they are and what their backgrounds are and what, if any, threat they pose to our community, our families, our neighbors, witnesses,” he said. “These are all considerations that we’re looking at right now.”
Law enforcement leaders argue the technical violations were a tool to help keep parolees on the right path after their release.
“These are all little rules that we put in place to keep them on a straight and narrow lifestyle,” he said. “We have found that when they start to violate those technical violations, that they end up going off and getting themselves re-arrested. Those technical violations were very good tools to keep them straight and to keep them honest and to keep them out of jail.”
Advocates claim the number of parolees who re-offend is slim.
"Very few people on parole actually re-offend with a new criminal conviction," says Napier Singletary. "Fewer than 3% of all of the people on parole across New York state every year are returned to prison for a new conviction."
There is no word yet on whether there will be more releases. VanBrederode said communication, or the alleged lack thereof, with Albany has been another serious concern.
“It is inconceivable,” he said, “the lack of communication and the lack of partnership that we have had from Albany.”
Before she signed the bill last week, Gov. Hochul called New York’s parole system antiquated. She argued incarcerations related to technical violations don’t add to public safety, and are more likely to interfere with the lives of those who’ve paid their debts to society.
“Parole is meant to help people return to life, reentry programs, not just drop them on a curb and say ‘good luck,' but to have a system of monitoring when required, to make sure they comply with what they’re supposed to do, but ultimately become part of society again,” she said.
“All too often, in this state particularly, it becomes a ticket back into jail because of very technical violations,” she added. “...It lands people back in a place that they finally paid their debt to and released from, and they’re back among the masses, no chance at rehabilitation, no chance to get that job, no chance to be reunited with their families.”
A report from Columbia University says in 2019, Monroe County spent $12 million dollars incarcerating non-violent parole offenders, higher than any other upstate county.
Napier Singletary says that money can be better spent on ways to keep people out of jail.
"Why would taxpayers want their money going to locking people up for missing curfew? Or for having a substance use problem that they need treatment for? Not jail. That's a waste of taxpayer money to be sending people back to jail for those things," she says.
Hochul said New York incarcerates more people on parole rule violations than any other state.