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Who cares
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Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to codes
- Referred to codes
Full text
The text isn't available here yet. Check nysenate.gov.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the criminal procedure law and the executive law, in relation to appearance of a victim at parole hearings
Purpose
To provide the victim of a crime the opportunity to personally appear and give oral testimony at parole board hearings for the person convicted of the crime.
Summary of provisions
Amends Criminal Procedure Law § 440.50 and the Executive Law § 259-i(2) to include the right of the victim of a crime to appear and be heard at parole hearings.
Existing law
Present law allows the person guilty of the crime to appear at the parole board hearing and for the victim either to submit a written statement or to meet before the parole hearing with a member of the panel. This bill would allow the victim or victim's representatives to appear and be heard at the parole hearing itself.
Justification
The victim of a crime deserves a voice in our criminal justice system and should have a right to participate in hearings regarding the parole of the prisoner. Victims have a legitimate interest in not only seeing that their attackers are appropriately punished, but also that they are not released prematurely to harm others. The parole board takes into consideration the prisoner's behavior while incarcerated, yet no one knows better than the victim how dangerous and ruthless this parole candidate was before he was subject to the scrutiny of the parole board. As of 1987, 31 states had a victims' "right of allocution" whereby victims are permitted to express their statements orally at the parole hearing itself; this is comparable to the right an offender traditionally has to address the parole board. While the victims now can meet with a member of the parole panel, victims still cannot appear and be heard at the parole hearing. This bill corrects such a deficiency.
Legislative history
01/09/08 Referred to Codes
Fiscal implications
None.
Effective date
November 1st next succeeding the date it shall become law.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.