January 07, 2009

Bill A01188, proposed by Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele, Jr.

Title of proposed Bill: An Act to amend the executive law, in relation to the time in which reconsideration for parole shall be determined.

Summary and justification for Bill: Increases from twenty-four to sixty months, the time for which reconsideration for parole shall be determined.

"Currently when parole is denied, the board has the discretion to set the date for reconsideration for parole for any date within two years of the denial of parole. In many cases, especially those involving heinous acts of violence against another, parole will be denied numerous times. However, each time an inmate is considered for parole, the victim and his/her family is required to relive the horror of the crime for the sake of impressing upon the Parole Board the inappropriateness of early release. In these cases, when the board is confident that their opinion regarding parole release will not be changed by anything that can transpire within the next five years, the board should have the discretion to set the date for reconsideration of its denial of parole for any date within those five years. This would still allow for an earlier reconsideration if warranted, yet also give the victim and his/her family a greater period of time of peace before the next parole consideration."

Full text of proposed Bill may be found here.