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There are approximately 35,000 people under active parole supervision in New York State who at almost any time can see their efforts to successfully rejoin the workforce and reintegrate into their families and their communities disrupted by reincarceration for a technical violation. This not only harms individual lives and families without commensurate public safety gains, but also drives up the population in the state prisons and local jails, wasting taxpayer money.
New York imprisons more people for non-criminal “technical” violations of parole like missing an appointment with a parole officer, being late for curfew, or testing positive for alcohol and other drugs than any state in the country.
The Less Is More Act was passed by the New York legislature in June and on September 17, 2021, Governor Hochul signed the bill into law. Most provisions take effect March 1, 2022 and it will be fully implemented by July 2022, but there is a provision that allows for the full and immediate implementation of #LessIsMoreNY before the effective date.
Less Is More: Community
Supervision Revocation Reform Act
Developed by people on parole, people currently incarcerated, family members, Katal, Unchained, A Little Piece of Light, Justice Lab at Columbia, A More Just NYC, Legal Aid, and more.
While on parole, I always felt the threat that any little mistake I made, whether it was showing up late for an appointment or being late for curfew, my parole officer would send me back to prison.
- Yamira Vazquez, 2021
Of people on parole whom New York sent back to prison in 2018, over 5,780 or 66% were reincarcerated for technical violations.
In 2017, nearly 1/3 of the new admissions to state prisons are due to people reincarcerated for technical violations of parole.
In 2018, 85% of people on parole who were reincarcerated were not convicted of a new crime.
The racial disparity is stark: In 2019, Black people were incarcerated
in New York City jails for technical parole violations at more than
12 times the rate of whites.
The Less Is More: Community Supervision Revocation Reform Act (S1144A/A5576A) passed the New York State Senate and Assembly in June 2021 and was signed into law by Governor Hochul in September 2021. We need you to contact Governor Hochul to ensure that she fully and effectively implements the #LessIsMoreNY Act.
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