Statement from Assemblyman Sepulveda on Bill Signed by Governor Cuomo

ASSEMBLYMAN SEPÚLVEDA’S BILL TO EASE PAROLEES’ REENTRY

TO COMMUNITY SIGNED INTO LAW BY GOV. CUOMO

Assemblyman Luis Sepúlveda, Chair of the Subcommittee on Transitional Services, praised Governor Andrew Cuomo today (9/28) for signing a package of legislation on Friday to ease prisoner reentry to communities upon their parole.

Among the bills signed into law was one sponsored Sepúlveda (A.7814 / S.4905), along with Senator Patrick Gallivan (R, Erie County) to ensure that parolees have next-day reporting to a parole officer, even if they had been scheduled for a Friday release.

The law effectively moves Friday release dates to the day before, Thursday, so that a weekend will not intervene between the release and the all-important next day meeting of the parolee with a parole officer.

“The first twenty-four hours after release from a facility can be the most critical for a parolee,” said Sepúlveda. “Next-day reporting is one of the best ways to ensure that the parolee hear — loudly and clearly — that the terms of his or her sentence still apply, and that bad behavior, like celebrating one’s release with alcohol or drugs, can lead to the parole being deemed violated and to the parolee’s swift return to prison.”

Sepúlveda said that the law will “greatly enhance community safety and increase successful outcomes for parolees.”