Bill > S02549

This bill aims to modify the composition of New York's State Board of Parole and parole hearing officers to ensure they reflect the geographic distribution of the state's incarcerated population. Specifically, the legislation requires that when new members are appointed or existing members are reappointed, the proportion of board members and hearing officers from each county must be "reasonably equivalent" to the proportion of incarcerated individuals from that county relative to the state's total incarcerated population. This means that counties with higher numbers of incarcerated individuals will have proportionally more representation on the parole board and among hearing officers. The goal appears to be creating a more representative oversight body that better understands the demographic realities of the state's criminal justice system. The bill will take effect 60 days after becoming law, giving the state time to implement these new composition requirements for future appointments.

Justice

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S2549