This past Monday, advocates for prison reform gathered in Newburgh with a rallying cry – Parole Justice for Seniors Now.
The rally, hosted by the The People’s Campaign for Parole Justice, was raising awareness for two bills currently in front of the New York State Legislature.
The Fair and Timely Parole Act would change the standards of release to be not on the original crime but on the incarcerated person’s rehabilitation, and the Elder Parole Act would allow incarcerated people over the age of 55 who have served 15 years or more a chance to go before the Parole Board for a hearing.
The campaign, which has also teamed up with Release Aging People in Prison (RAPP), Prisoners Brain Trust, and Communities Not Cages, says that the passing of both of these bills would save lives, reunite families, promote racial justice, and save the state tens of millions of dollars.
Additional gatherings were held in New York City, outside Corcraft Industries in the Capitol Region which uses prison labor to make household products, Rochester, Hempstead, and outside Sing Sing Correction Facility in Ossining.
Alton Lee, the Hudson Valley Community Leader of RAPP, spoke about how even while pursuing higher education during his time incarcerated, he was denied release by the parole board several times and was only ever to obtain a job that paid $0.25 an hour.
“We’re here to change the perception of the people,” said Lee. “We made a bad choice, but there’s a lot of us who are trying to do right and bring a positive influence back to our communities.
The event was attended by formerly incarcerated folks, allies who’ve helped them receive clemency and release from parole boards, and even elected officials, including newly elected Orange County District 6 legislator Gabrielle Hill and Newburgh City Councilman Omari Shakur.
Shakur, who was formerly incarcerated, spoke to the crowd about how he hopes the signing of these bills is only the beginning of how the carceral system can be changed to truly focus on rehabilitation.
“I am the perfect example of what is happening in our cities, and what can happen in our cities in the future,” said Shakur.
In addition, many attendees spoke of how current health care professionals are letting down seniors. Incarcerated people have never had access to quality healthcare but the rising number of prisoners in New York over the age of 50 have only added to the amount of people with cancer and other chronic health conditions that are often diagnosed too late.
Benjamin Madden, who was formerly incarcerated and received treatment at Central New York Psychiatric Center, spoke of professionals abusing their power and in some cases resorting to physical violence when dealing with patients.
“I’d like to be evaluated for the person I am today,” said Madden. “I just turned 64, I don’t know how much time I have left on this earth. But I’d like to spend it with my family.”
If you’d like to learn more about these two bills, or join the campaign for their trip to Albany on January 21, 2026, visit their website at parolejusticeny.com
Image: Attendees gathered around megaphone at the People’s Campaign for Parole Justice rally in Newburgh, NY (Credit: Genevieve Hartnett)