ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Organizers gathered in downtown Rochester on Wednesday to urge lawmakers to pass parole reform.
Formerly incarcerated individuals, crime survivors, and community organizers came together to advocate for bills that would ensure access to parole based on who they are today, what they have done to change, and if they pose a risk if released.
Tracie Adams shared her story, saying she was 25 and pregnant when her brother-in-law murdered her daughter’s father. She said she was angry and eventually became incarcerated herself.
“When I got in there, I met a lot of women, and I listened to these stories,” Adams said. “And then I thought about what I can do different to help me and to help the community.”
Adams said she went to counseling, turned her life around, and decided her brother-in-law deserved another chance.
“Today, he’s a productive member of society,” Adams said. “He’s a taxpayer, he’s a registered voter, and he’s trying to take care of his family, and I will back him twofold.”
Adams and other advocates are calling for the Fair and Timely Parole Bill and Elder Parole Bills to be passed.
“These two policies can definitely correct that in our correctional system and better our community as a whole,” Geneo Jamal Wali, Community Organizer for Citizen Action of NY, said.
New York State Sen. Robert Ortt shared an email statement in response to the parole reform legislation.
“The parole board has shown a willingness to release cop killers like Herman Bell and child murderers like Chad Campbell,” Ortt said in the emailed statement. “Passing legislation that will make it even easier for violent offenders to be released early is both an insult to victims’ families and to the idea of public safety.”
Geneo Jamal Wali, who spent 20 years in prison, said those who turn their lives around can contribute positively to the community.
“They have proven to be an asset to the community,” Wali said. “We need this legislation to bring home some of our community leaders.”
Similar rallies advocating for parole reform took place across New York on Monday, including in Long Island, New York City and Westchester.
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