In Ulster County, where 87% of residents are white, 63% of those incarcerated in state prisons are Black, Latine and other people of color. To provide true safety for all, we must fix our broken system of justice, and invest in public goods.

• End “death by prison” by passing Elder Parole, which allows those who are 55 and older and have served 15 or more consecutive years the opportunity to be considered for parole. Increasingly longer sentences have created an ever expanding population of incarcerated seniors.
• Require the Parole Board to evaluate those eligible based on who they are today, not the severity of the original charge, by passing the Fair & Timely Parole. Too many New Yorkers in prison are de facto denied parole despite being eligible by a slow, racially biased, and impersonal parole system.
• End the “prison penalty,” which blocks opportunities for employment, housing, and other necessary vital requirements for re-entry into community, by passing the Clean Slate Act.
• Fight to restore the civil rights snatched away by this year’s bail reform rollbacks, such as the right to a trial before being held in jail
• Stand up against prison labor, which is a leading factor for there being a higher scale of slavery now than ever before.
• Demand basic freedoms, such as access to books, good quality food, and healthcare, for the incarcerated.

On Dec. 22, 2020, a state trooper who was patrolling the New York State Thruway in the town of Ulster rammed a car, causing it to flip, leading to the death of 11-years-old Monica Goods. There is no true safety if we cannot hold law enforcement accountable.

• End the defense of qualified immunity for law enforcement when they deprive the rights of New Yorkers, and provide a state cause of action that may be brought by injured individuals and the Attorney General, by passing (S1991/A4331)