A new report reveals a widening racial disparity in the New York State Parole Board’s decision-making process. Over the past three years, people of color are significantly less likely to be released from prison compared to their white counterparts. The data shows that Black and Hispanic individuals have been denied parole at a rate 34.79%, compared to 48.71% for whites.
The disparity has worsened since 2016, when the issue was first highlighted by The New York Times. Since then, Governor Kathy Hochul took office in 2021, there would be an additional 1,338 fewer Blacks and Hispanics behind bars if they were paroled at the same rate as whites.
Critics argue that the Parole Board’s decision-making process is biased against people of color. The report’s co-author, Jason Williamson, says “the sad reality… is that New York’s Parole Board is going backwards.” Deb, a Black parolee who served 26 years for a kidnapping and manslaughter case, believes racial bias played a role in her denials.
Deb was denied parole three times before being released in May via the Domestic Violence Survivors Act. She obtained a master’s degree while incarcerated and had release backed by a prison superintendent each time she went up for parole. The Parole Board used an assessment system called Correctional Offender Management Profiling for Alternative Sanctions (COMPAS), which is also biased against Black and Hispanic inmates.
Advocates are calling for reform, saying the purpose of the parole release system should be to evaluate a person’s readiness for release, not perpetuate punishment. State Senator Julia Salazar has proposed legislation known as the Fair and Timely Parole Act, which would restore the Parole Board’s original purpose and base decisions on a person’s current risk to public safety.
The data is clear: Black and Brown families across the state are disproportionately harmed by mass incarceration, including the parole release system. The report’s findings have sparked calls for reform and greater accountability from lawmakers.
Source: https://www.thecity.nyc/2024/11/11/widening-racial-disparity-nys-parole-report