Directs the board of parole to maintain a current list of all inmates due to appear before a board

Summary of provisions

This bill would:

1. Require at least 3 Parole Board members to conduct parole hearings for inmates convicted of a class A felony, and require a unanimous vote for parole to be granted in these cases.

2. Require the Division of Parole to maintain on their web site a listing of inmates and their parole eligibility dates, along with other relevant data.

3. Allow victims who did not choose at the time of the inmate's conviction to receive notice of parole hearings to elect to do so at a later date.

4. Require the Division's web site to provide a mechanism enabling victims of all crimes, not just violent crimes, to register to receive notice of when their perpetrator will appear before the Parole Board for a hearing. The web site must also provide a notice of their rights as a victim to make either a written or oral statement to the Board.

5. Require the Parole Board to give notice to victims who have requested to be notified of a proposed parole hearing and their rights as victim to make either a written or oral statement to the board.

6. Require the Division of Parole to provide an annual report to the State Legislature on all parole releases, release rates and other information.

7. Mandate that the Division of Parole must contact the local District Attorney in the county where a crime was committed, whenever an A-felon or Violent Felony Offender comes up for parole.

Existing law

Current law only requires only the agreement of a majority of the board members who interview an inmate for parole for that inmate to be released on parole. Currently the Division of Parole does not provide any information on its Internet web site regarding inmates who will be considered for parole nor is there any means for crime victims to

request over the Internet that they be notified of the date of the parole hearing for the inmate who victimized them.

Justification

The rate of release of violent felons, particularly those who have committed murder, has recently dramatically increased. New State Division of Parole data shows that A-1 violent felons appearing for the first time before the Parole Board are now being released at a rate 180% higher than during Governor George Pataki's last term in office. Felons who reappear before the Board are being released at a rate 122% higher than during Pataki's last term. Media reports have also detailed several instances where A-1 murderers have been released without any contact with the victim's families. The Division of Parole maintains an Internet web site, but does not provide any information to the public on the web site regarding who will be considered for parole or the dates of parole hearings. The Division also does not provide information to the legislature as to whom has been released and the rates of release.

Legislative history

S.8360 of 2009/2010

Fiscal implications

None.

Local fiscal implications

None.

Effective date

Immediate except that provisions requiring changes to the Internet web site of the Division of Parole are to be effective 180 days after the bill becomes law.