New York Law Journal Special Report Investigates ''Dismantling'' of State Parole System under Pataki; Release Rates Plunge under Governor's Administration.

NEW YORK -- A special report from the New York Law Journal(R), "Dismantling Parole," documents how policies and appointees of Governor George E. Pataki have radically reduced parole release rates since Pataki's election in 1995. According to analyses conducted by the NYLJ, a violent felon had roughly a one-in-four chance of getting parole when Pataki took office 11 years ago. Today, the odds are approximately one-in-25. The complete special report is available today at www.nylj.com.

The changes in parole policy and standards impact many of New York's 63,000 prison inmates. Thousands were sentenced at a time when parole was a realistic possibility, many under plea-bargains. Members of the New York State Board of Parole have broad discretion in making parole decisions and operate with minimal judicial review. The current board members, all of whom have been appointed by Pataki, appear to share the Governor's stated goal of minimizing parole for violent offenders.

Under the Pataki administration, parole release rates have plummeted. In fiscal year 1992-93, the state released 23 percent of prisoners eligible for parole who had committed so-called A-1 felonies -- murder, attempted murder, kidnapping and arson. By 2004-2005, that rate had dropped to 3 percent, just nine prisoners. At the same time, the release rate for other violent criminals who appeared for interviews before the parole board declined to 18 percent, or 337 inmates, from 51 percent.

"While the governor has the right to work for the elimination of parole, our research and interviews show most members of the criminal justice community feel it should be applied prospectively," said Kris Fischer, editor in chief of the newspaper. "Defense attorneys, prosecutors and judges are concerned that thousands of prisoners who were sentenced under a different regime are being denied parole--in effect re-sentenced--regardless of the terms of their plea deal or the extent of their rehabilitation."

Founded in 1888, the New York Law Journal is the largest daily circulation legal newspapers in the nation. The newspaper is published by ALM.

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