Mayor Mamdani Announces Completion of Weeksville Restoration, Preserving One of the Nation’s Oldest Free Black Communities

 

Four pre-Civil War homes restored months ahead of schedule in Crown Heights

Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA) and the New York City Department of Design and Construction (DDC) announced today the completion of a $4 million restoration of the historic Hunterfly Road Houses at the Weeksville Heritage Center in Brooklyn.

Construction began in fall 2024 and wrapped in February 2026 – two months ahead of schedule – preserving four wood-frame homes built in the 19th century that stand as the last remaining structures of one of the nation’s largest free Black communities before the Civil War.  

“Weeksville tells the story of Black New Yorkers who built freedom for themselves in a country that tried to deny them it,” said Mayor Mamdani. “It was a sanctuary that offered safety, dignity, and opportunity in the face of economic injustice and systemic racism. It was nearly erased by urban renewal. By restoring the Hunterfly Road Houses, we are preserving not just historic buildings but a living legacy of resilience and self-determination.” 

"Weeksville is a treasured part of our city's cultural community, an organization that both preserves an important part of our city's Black story and keeps it alive, relevant, and vital for future generations," said DCLA Deputy Commissioner Alton Murray. "Together with our partners at DDC, DCLA is proud of our support for this important project to restore the historic Hunterfly Road Houses so they can continue to anchor Weeksville's extraordinary mission and tell a key part of our city's Black history."  

“This project was designed and completed with the greatest respect for the legacy of this community and this important part of the City’s African American history,” said Department of Design and Construction Acting Commissioner Eduardo del Valle. “We are proud to have finished the restoration two months ahead of schedule, and to be able to celebrate the completion of this project for the center, the largest African American cultural institution in Brooklyn, during Black History Month.” 

“The restoration of the Hunterfly Road Houses is a major milestone for Weeksville and for Brooklyn’s cultural landscape,” said Dr. Raymond Codrington, President and CEO of Weeksville Heritage Center. “We are deeply grateful to our partners at the City of New York, including the Mayor’s Office, the Department of Cultural Affairs, the Brooklyn Borough President’s Office, the New York City Council, and the Department of Design and Construction, for making this work possible and helping ensure these historic homes are preserved for generations to come.”

“I am proud to celebrate the restoration of the Hunterfly Road Houses at the Weeksville Heritage Center. Weeksville stands as a testament to Black self-determination, resilience, and cultural excellence in the face of systemic exclusion," said NYC Chief Equity Officer and NYC Mayor’s Office of Equity & Racial Justice Commissioner Afua Atta-Mensah. “We must ensure that preservation and growth move forward together, strengthening rather than displacing the communities that shaped our city. This restoration safeguards more than historic structures; it preserves a legacy of freedom, community-building, and possibility that continues to shape and inspire New York City’s future." 

The Hunterfly Road Houses are the only African American historic site in the Northeast located on its original site. The community of Weeksville, in present-day Crown Heights and Bedford-Stuyvesant, was founded in 1848 by James Weeks, a formerly enslaved man from Virginia who purchased the land with a group of free Black men. By the 1850s, Weeksville had grown to more than 500 residents, becoming a haven for Black New Yorkers seeking opportunity and safety. It also served as a refuge during periods of racist violence, including the 1863 Draft Riots in Manhattan.

Today, Weeksville Heritage Center educates the public about this history while serving as a vibrant space hosting yoga classes, arts and crafts, film screenings, exhibitions and intergenerational events that carry forward the spirit of self-determination that defined the original settlement.  

As Crown Heights and Bedford-Stuyvesant face ongoing development and displacement pressures, the preservation of the Hunterfly Road Houses stands as a bastion of community memory – where everyday artifacts like spoons and hand-altered dolls, once mundane objects, now serve as sacred reminders of resilience, refuge, and the enduring power of Black self-creation. 

The project restored the exterior of the houses, including the façades, siding, windows, doors and front-entry porches. The project also installed a climate-controlled storage room in the cellar of one of the homes to help preserve historical items. Upgrades also include new plumbing, exterior lighting, an upgraded fire alarm system equipped with smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors, and a new CCTV monitoring system. Funding for the project was provided by the NYC Mayor’s Office, the Brooklyn Borough President, and the New York City Council.  

In 1968, local preservationists rediscovered the surviving houses, which had nearly been lost to urban renewal and development, and fought to preserve them for future generations. The Hunterfly Road Houses were designated a New York City Landmark in 1970 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971. 

United States Seeks Forfeiture of Oil Tanker and 1.8M Barrels of Crude Oil That Supported Iran and Venezuela

 

A complaint has been filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia seeking to forfeit the Motor Tanker Skipper – a crude oil tanker seized by the United States on the high seas in December 2025 – and approximately 1.8 million barrels of crude oil cargo supplied by Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PdVSA), the state-owned oil company of Venezuela. As alleged, the Skipper and its cargo are forfeitable as property affording a person a source of influence over the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), including the IRGC-Qods Force (IRGC-QF), a designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO).

“Under President Trump's leadership, the era of secretly bankrolling regimes that pose clear threats to the United States is over,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This Department of Justice will deploy every legal authority at our disposal to completely dismantle and permanently shutter any operation that defies our laws and fuels chaos across the globe.”

“This forfeiture complaint for the M/T Skipper and its oil cargo demonstrates the FBI’s unwavering commitment to enforcing U.S. sanctions and thwarting hostile regimes who exploit the global oil trade,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “The FBI, working alongside our interagency partners, will continue aggressively identifying, disrupting, and dismantling the financial networks used by our foreign adversaries to fund terrorist organizations and destabilize international security. We remain steadfast in safeguarding both the integrity of the international financial system and the security of the American people.”

“Because of the coordinated efforts of our prosecutors and law enforcement partners, a ghost tanker that for years secretly moved illicit oil from Iran and Venezuela around the globe has been taken off the seas,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Today’s actions are an important step in making America and the world safer by disrupting the flow of millions of dollars to foreign terrorist organizations. The Criminal Division will continue to use every tool at our disposal to end to terrorist financing.”

“For too long, a shadow fleet of stateless and falsely registered vessels has operated with impunity while shuttling illicit oil around the world, generating billions in revenue for adversary regimes and foreign terrorist organizations,” said John A. Eisenberg, Assistant Attorney General for National Security. “This forfeiture complaint reflects the National Security Division’s commitment to shutting down those networks and enforcing U.S. sanctions.”

“We will aggressively enforce U.S. sanctions against Iran and relentlessly pursue ghost fleet vessels whose illicit oil shipments have served as revenue sources for the IRGC and its terrorist proxies,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro for the District of Columbia. “With the continued seizures and forfeitures of tankers and related profits, we are sending a clear message that there will be no safe harbor for sanctions evasion – and that we will deny Iran the ability to fund terrorism through its shadowy maritime networks.”

“Homeland Security Investigations played a critical role in the investigation that led to today’s forfeiture complaint against the Motor Tanker Skipper and its illicit cargo. By leveraging our expertise, partnerships, and unwavering commitment to protecting the homeland, HSI helped disrupt a complex sanctions-evasion and illicit finance network supporting designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations,” said HSI acting Executive Associate Director John Condon. “I am proud of the dedication and professionalism demonstrated by our special agents and law enforcement partners, whose collaborative efforts were instrumental in advancing this case. HSI remains committed to safeguarding national security and upholding the rule of law by targeting criminal organizations that threaten global stability.”

The forfeiture complaint alleges a scheme, between at least 2021 and the present, to facilitate the shipment and sale of petroleum products for the benefit of the IRGC, including the IRGC-QF. During this time, the Skipper moved crude oil from Iran and Venezuela and, through ship-to-ship transfers, delivered it to various locations around the world, including to other rogue regimes. The Skipper disguised its illicit activities by spoofing its locations, flying false flags and employing other tactics to obfuscate its routes and conceal its sanctions evasion. For example, as alleged in the complaint, in 2024, the Skipper delivered approximately three million barrels of crude oil from Iran to Syria. The Skipper continued to transport illicit oil from Iran and Venezuela into 2025, including loading oil from Iran at least twice in 2025. For its facilitation of illicit oil shipments, on Nov. 3, 2022, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned the Skipper (then named the Adisa).

The civil forfeiture complaint further alleges that the petroleum product, which was loaded onto the Skipper from Venezuela before it was seized, is part of the Skipper’s scheme to perpetuate its operations in support of the IRGC, including the IRGC-QF. As alleged, revenue from the sale of petroleum products supports the IRGC’s full range of malign activities, including the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery, support for terrorism and both domestic and international human rights abuses. The ghost fleet, including the Skipper, plays an essential role in generating revenue for these regimes by moving Iranian and other illicit oil around the world.

Most recently, in November 2025, the Skipper loaded approximately 1.8 million barrels of Venezuelan-origin crude oil at the José Terminal in Venezuela. According to bills of lading, approximately 1.1 million barrels of the Skipper’s oil cargo were to be delivered to Cubametales, the Cuban state-run oil import and export company that was designated by OFAC in July 2019.

On Dec. 10, 2025, U.S. law enforcement seized the Skipper on the high seas pursuant to a judicially authorized seizure warrant. At that time, the Skipper was claiming a false Guyanese flag, rendering it stateless. The Skipper and its cargo were thereafter transported to the waters off the coast of Texas.

FBI Minneapolis Field Office and HSI Washington D.C. Field Office are investigating the case. Substantial assistance was provided by HSI New York Field Office.

Trial Attorney Josh Sohn of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Dilorenzo and Rajbir Datta of the District of Columbia and Acting Deputy Chief Sean Heiden of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are litigating the case.

A civil forfeiture complaint is merely an allegation.  The burden to prove forfeitability in a civil forfeiture proceeding is upon the government.

MAN ARRESTED FOR PLOTTING WITH OTHERS TO MURDER OR KIDNAP TWO VICTIMS ABROAD AND RELATED TERRORISM OFFENSES

 

Jay Clayton, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Roman Rozhavsky, Assistant Director of the FBI’s Counterintelligence & Espionage Division, and James C. Barnacle, Jr., the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the FBI, announced today that DENIS ALIMOV, a/k/a “Denis Nazarovich Alimov,” a/k/a “Denis N Alimov,” a/k/a “Denis Nevsky,” a/k/a “Dionis Nevsky,” a/k/a “Denis Klimenkov,” a/k/a “Denis Nazarovich Klimenkov,” was arrested on February 24, 2026 in Bogotá, Colombia, based on an Interpol Red Notice related to charges filed in Superseding Indictment S2 25 Cr. 122 (JPC) in the Southern District of New York. The Superseding Indictment charges ALIMOV with participating in an alleged plot to murder or kidnap two well-known dissidents abroad, as well as related terrorism offenses. U.S. authorities plan to seek the extradition of ALIMOV from Colombia. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge John P. Cronan. 

“As alleged, Denis Alimov and his co-conspirators tried to murder or kidnap two well-known dissidents, with Alimov offering a co-conspirator $1.5 million for each victim,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “This chilling attempt shows not only the lengths malign actors will go to silence critics, but also, the resolve, expertise, and ability of American law enforcement and our partners abroad to disrupt those plots and bring those responsible to justice.” 

“Alimov has been arrested for his alleged involvement in a plot to locate, kidnap, and murder political dissidents who dared to speak out against their authoritarian regime,” said Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence & Espionage Division. “Transnational repression poses a serious and growing threat to individual rights and freedoms, and the FBI is committed to investigating all plots involving U.S.-based criminal actors or victims. Today’s announcement makes clear that combating this threat is among our highest priorities, and we will work with our partners at home and abroad to find and hold accountable those who use threats and violence to silence dissent.”

“Denis Alimov allegedly plotted with others to kidnap or murder two foreign dissidents and offered a co-conspirator a bounty for his help carrying out that plot,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge James C. Barnacle. “The FBI will continue to prevent hired guns from prowling the globe to carry out the nefarious agenda of others, no matter where they are.”

As alleged in the Superseding Indictment unsealed today and Indictment 25 Cr. 122 (JPC):[1]

An investigation by the FBI revealed that from at least in or about October 2024 through in or about March 2025, ALIMOV orchestrated a plot, with others, to kidnap or murder two well-known dissidents residing abroad (collectively, the “Targets”) from a republic in a particular foreign country. The Targets have previously been the subject of multiple reprisal and assassination attempts. In furtherance of the plot, in or about October 2024, ALIMOV met with an alleged co-conspirator, Darko Durovic,[2] at a restaurant near the headquarters of a particular foreign country’s internal security and counterintelligence service. During that meeting, ALIMOV paid Durovic approximately $60,000 to finance the plot. ALIMOV also agreed to pay Durovic approximately $1.5 million in exchange for murdering or kidnapping each of the Targets.

Following their meeting in or about October 2024, ALIMOV repeatedly communicated with Durovic regarding the planning and status of the plot, including providing Durovic with IP address and phone number information for one of the Targets. Durovic, among other things, researched Glock handguns while planning travel to a European country to find one of the Targets; traveled to a second European country to locate another of the Targets; and recruited another co-conspirator to participate in the plot, who discussed with Durovic the need to “finance a hunting team” to find the Targets.

ALIMOV, 42, is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit murder and kidnapping in a foreign country, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison; one count of conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison; one count of provision and attempted provision of material support to terrorists, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison; one count of conspiracy to finance terrorism, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; and one count of financing of terrorism, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

The potential maximum sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.

Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding efforts of the FBI New York Counterintelligence Office, the FBI Counterintelligence and Espionage Division, and the FBI International Operations Division. Mr. Clayton also thanked the Counterterrorism Section of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, the Office of International Affairs of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, the Judicial Attaché Office in Bogotá, our partners at the United States Embassy to Colombia, and our law enforcement partners in Colombia, for their assistance.

This case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas S. Bradley and Kaylan E. Lasky are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Trial Attorney Michael Dittoe of the Counterterrorism Section.

[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Superseding Indictment constitutes only allegations, and every fact described herein should be treated as an allegation.

[2] Durovic was subsequently arrested in or about March 2025, and his case is pending before Judge Cronan.

Fifteen State Landmarks Will Be Lit Statewide on February 27

Governor Kathy Hochul today directed state landmarks to be lit blue, white and red in honor of Dominican Independence Day. The Governor is proud to celebrate Dominican art, history and culture in New York State, and champions the million Dominican-Americans who call New York home.

“As Governor, I am honored to represent the Dominican diaspora — the largest immigrant community in New York City and where a million Dominican-Americans live across our state,” Governor Hochul said. “The Dominican community has a strong cultural, economic and social impact on the fabric of New York, and we are proud to celebrate their history, strength and resilience on this independence day. I am committed to uplifting Dominican New Yorkers and amplifying Dominican art and culture for generations to come.”

The Governor made her first official visit to the Dominican Republic in November 2025, meeting with a distinguished delegation of leaders to discuss the shared priorities of New York State and the Dominican Republic. These discussions covered priorities including climate resilience, infrastructure development, and disaster response and education, with the intent to foster a collaborative relationship that benefits Dominicans and Dominican New Yorkers as well as strengthening both economies.

These 15 landmarks will be illuminated blue, white and red in honor of Dominican Independence Day:

• One World Trade Center
• Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge
• Kosciuszko Bridge
• The H. Carl McCall SUNY Building
• State Education Building
• Alfred E. Smith State Office Building
• Empire State Plaza
• State Fairgrounds – Main Gate & Expo Center
• The “Franklin D. Roosevelt” Mid-Hudson Bridge
• Grand Central Terminal - Pershing Square Viaduct
• Albany International Airport Gateway
• MTA LIRR - East End Gateway at Penn Station
• Fairport Lift Bridge over the Erie Canal
• Moynihan Train Hall
• Roosevelt Island Lighthouse

 

Mayor Mamdani Announces $20 Million Investment in Strong Foundations Initiative to Expand Perinatal and Early Childhood Mental Health Programs for Families

 

Investment will dramatically expand eligibility criteria by including parents with more than one child, supporting perinatal and early childhood mental health clinics and expanding workforce opportunities for early childhood staff 

Today, Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani announced that the NYC Health Department would receive a $20 million investment over three years for the groundbreaking Strong Foundations initiative as part of the Fiscal Year 2026 Budget. Strong Foundations will expand eligibility for the NYC Nurse-Family Partnership (NYC-NFP) to include parents with more than one child and allow enrollment later in pregnancy. As part of the three-year investment, the NYC Health Department will connect more families to visits from registered nurses that support healthy pregnancies and provide mental health resources for parents and young children while growing the mental health workforce. The funding will also expand training and workforce opportunities for early childhood mental health professionals, by establishing a three-year fellowship to develop a pipeline of clinicians with perinatal and early childhood experience. 

 

“The cost-of-living crisis hits New York City families well before the birth of their kids, which is why our administration is stepping up assistance through Strong Foundations. All parents deserve access to high-quality prenatal and perinatal care, and today’s announcement will ensure that all New Yorkers, and particularly those who face structural barriers to care, are provided with the resources they need at the very beginning of their child’s life,” said Mayor Mamdani. 

 

“The Mamdani administration is making good on its commitment to provide assistance to as many New York City families as possible. As a mother who has raised four children in New York, I understand the struggles that come with pregnancy, childbirth and infancy — and I know that far too many cannot access the care they need to navigate these experiences,” said NYC Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Dr. Helen Arteaga. “Today, I am excited that this initiative, which has helped tens of thousands of parents throughout the city, will connect even more families to registered nurses, increase access to mental health care and grow training and workforce opportunities for early childhood staff. Through the Strong Foundations initiative, we are delivering another win to working families by providing comprehensive, high-quality health care where it was previously unavailable.” 

 

“The health of our youngest New Yorkers begins with the wellness of their parents and caregivers,” said NYC Health Department Commissioner Dr. Alister Martin. “As a parent and the son of a Nurse-Family Partnership nurse, I know the benefits of high quality care and mental health support firsthand. Strong Foundations will enable us to reduce barriers and reach more expecting parents with individualized, compassionate care provided by dedicated nurses and mental health professionals.” 

 

“ACS is proud to be working with the Health Department to ensure more NYC families have access to the support they need to thrive. We know that parenting, especially a newborn, is stressful. We also know that children’s earliest days provide foundation that impacts their lives in profound ways. This investment provides hands-on, destigmatized support to reduce stress and increase attachment so parents and their children can thrive,” Luisa Linares, Deputy Commissioner of the Family Services Division at the NYC Administration for Children’s Services (ACS). 

 

Through Strong Foundations, nurses will receive additional training to serve more New York families and distribute additional supplies such as pack and plays, diapers and developmental toys. 

 

This initiative will also support expanded capacity and staffing at the Health Department’s Perinatal and Early Childhood Mental Health (P+ECMH) Network clinics and invest in workforce development by funding specialized mental health certification for 20 practitioners annually and establishing a three-year fellowship program for new graduates to develop a pipeline of staff with the skills to support families with young children.  

 

For more than 20 years, NYC-NFP has supported more than 25,000 expecting parents with a registered nurse through pregnancy, childbirth and through the child’s second birthday. The program prioritizes families who face structural barriers to care, including Medicaid enrollees, families involved in the foster care, child welfare or criminal justice system, and those facing housing instability. Clients report higher rates of breastfeeding, on-time childhood immunizations and improved economic self-sufficiency.   

NYS Office of the Comptroller DiNapoli Report Examines Post-Covid Trends in New York's Aging Prison Population

 

The long-term decline in the number of individuals in state prisons has led to a demographic shift towards an older incarcerated population, and necessitates increased attention to policies and costs associated with this population, according to a report by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli today that examines post-COVID trends in the state’s aging prison population.

“The share of older people in New York’s prisons has grown over time,” DiNapoli said. “We need careful evaluation of policies related to sentencing, parole, compassionate release, geriatric and health costs, and reentry support for this older population to determine an approach that ensures public safety and protects taxpayers, while reducing incarceration where warranted.”

DiNapoli’s 2022 report on the prison population revealed that demographic changes in the state’s prison population over the last two decades led to an increasing share of older incarcerated individuals (aged 50 and over). The decline in the overall prison population accelerated with a drop of 26% (10,861 individuals) between March 2020 and March 2021, which included a decrease of 1,603 individuals aged 50 or over (17%). The share of older incarcerated individuals peaked at 24.3% in 2021.

Since 2008, the average age of New York’s incarcerated population has risen by four years (40.2 years). One contributing factor is that a greater number of older incarcerated individuals are meeting their conditional release date in prison instead of being granted parole.

Pre- and Post-COVID Shifts in Age Groups

In 2022, there was another slight decline in the state’s prison population, but the three most recent data years (2023-2025) show a rise of 1,957 individuals in state prisons. The older prison population has remained relatively steady since 2022.

As the overall prison population declined, the percentage of incarcerated individuals who are 50 and older increased. In 2019, this older population made up 21% of those incarcerated in New York, up from 12% in 2008. Between 2022 and 2025, as the size of the overall prison population increased, the share of older incarcerated individuals dropped from its 2021 peak to 22.3%. This is still 1.3 percentage points higher than it was in 2019.

Since at least 2008, incarcerated individuals under the age of 50 account for more than 75% of the state’s prison population and more than 90% of its overall decline.

The number of incarcerated people between the ages of 50 to 59 grew by 10% between 2008 and 2020, but declined 32% between 2020 to 2025. In contrast, those ages 60 to 69 years old and 70 years old and over have grown in number and as a share of the total population. Together, they were nearly 9% of the overall prison population in 2025.

Prison Release and Recidivism for Older Incarcerated People

As the prison population has declined, so has the overall number of releases per year. In 2024, older incarcerated individuals were released from prison at a lower rate (23.1%) than the total population (28.5%).

Between 2019 and 2024, the share of conditional releases grew by 14 percentage points for the older incarcerated population to 48.6% of all releases. The share of releases for those aged 50 and over based on a discretionary Board of Parole decision has declined from 57.2% in 2019 to 48.9% in 2024.

When older individuals are released into the community, data published by the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) show they present lower rates of recidivism. For releases that occurred between 2008 and 2021, the rate of recidivism within three years for a new felony offense is 3.3% for those ages 60 to 69 and 1.7% for those age 70 and over.

Costs for Older Incarcerated Individuals

As healthcare costs have risen and New York’s incarcerated population has shrunk, the per person cost of health services spent by DOCCS has risen from $5,850 per person in State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2013 to $13,923 in SFY 2025, a 138% increase. More granular data that would allow for analysis of health care expenses for the older incarcerated population is not publicly available. As of SFY 2025, overall DOCCS’ healthcare spending has risen to $450.6 million, $53.9 million higher than the previous peak in SFY 2017.

Recent Policy Changes

Since 2017, New York has enacted and implemented a series of criminal justice changes, such as Raise the Age, limits on pre-trial detention, limits on parole revocations, and the legalization of cannabis. These changes may not have had as much of an impact on older incarcerated individuals as they did on younger individuals.  

Medical Parole and Compassionate Release are also available for people in prison who have serious medical conditions and pose no reasonable danger to society. DOCCS’ most recent annual report on Medical Parole indicated that, of the 138 medical parole applications submitted to the Board of Parole from 2018 to 2022, 84% (116) were for individuals aged 50 or older. Compassionate Release provides the board discretion to release an incarcerated individual who has already served the minimum period of their indeterminate sentence, has previously appeared before the board and been denied, and later is medically certified as so debilitated (terminal or significantly incapacitated) that they pose no reasonable danger to society.

Other initiatives have been introduced in the state legislature that would allow some people aged 55 or older to be considered for parole, would expand merit time for earlier release of incarcerated individuals, or would provide a second look at long sentences.

Report

Post-COVID Trends in New York’s Aging Prison Population

Related Reports

New York State’s Aging Prison Population

NYGOP Statement After Bragg Drops Assault Charge in Attack on Cop

 

The NYGOP released the following statement in response to Alvin Bragg's decision to drop assault charges against a 27-year-old who participated in the attack on NYPD officers in Washington Square Park, in which rocks were packed in snow before being hurled at uniformed police officers:

 

"Zohran Mamdani and Alvin Bragg are New York City's Axis of Anarchy. They just sent a message to the mob loud and clear: attack cops, and the radical Democratic establishment will have your back.

 

"With zero pushback from Cowardly Kathy, things are going to get much worse in New York City before they get better - and they'll only get better if we fire Kathy Hochul and elect Bruce Blakeman Governor."

 

-NYGOP Spokesman David Laska

Housing Lottery Launches for 715 East 216th Street in Williamsbridge, The Bronx

 

The affordable housing lottery has launched for 715 East 216th Street, a six-story residential building in Williamsbridge, The Bronx. Designed by Sierra Construction NY and developed by Erenik Nezaj, the structure yields 22 residences. Available on NYC Housing Connect are five units for residents at 80 percent of the area median income (AMI), ranging in eligible income from $75,840 to $116,640. 

715 East 216th Street in Williamsbridge, The Bronx via NYC Housing Connect

Residences are equipped with air conditioning and intercoms. Amenities include an elevator, backyard, bike storage, storage lockers, a shared laundry room, recreation room, and electric vehicle charging stations. Tenants are responsible for electricity, including stove, heat, and hot water. 

At 80 percent of the AMI, there are two studios with a monthly rent of $2,000 for incomes ranging from $75,840 to $103,680, and three one-bedrooms with a monthly rent of $2,092 for incomes ranging from $81,326 to $116,640.

Prospective renters must meet income and household size requirements to apply for these apartments. Applications must be postmarked or submitted online no later than March 4, 2026.