Martin LaFalce, an attorney with The Legal Aid Society appeared on the NY1’s Capital Tonight to discuss the ongoing crisis on Rikers Island, how the newly signed Less Is More act will help, and what actions lawmakers must take moving forward.

LaFalce began by explaining how why the current situation is on Rikers is so dire.

“The population at Rikers Island has reached 6,000 as a result of bail roll-backs and as a result of prosecutors and judges setting bail in so many cases where they shouldn’t,” he said. “Corrections Officers are not coming to work and it’s resulted in a horrible humanitarian crisis. Our clients are not getting food, they are not getting access to medical care, they are sleeping in feces they are sleeping on the floor it is atrocious.”

The Less is More legislation, which Governor Hochul signed last week, will get some New Yorkers out of this dangerous situation immediately. The bill comprehensively reforms the State’s parole system by eliminating incarceration for most minor non-criminal violations, requiring prompt judicial review of parole violation charges, placing caps on revocation sanctions, and providing a path to earned discharge from supervision.

LaFalce praised Hochul’s action but called on other elected officials to do more.

“Is a great first step by the Governor it exactly the type of leadership we need in a moment of crisis…we’re elated that she’s announced that she’ll release 191 people. But so many other actors need to do more,” he said.

“Commission Annucci should be lifting hundreds of other warrants that are holding people at Rikers, Mayor de Blasio should be releasing people who are being held on city sentences, and prosecutors and judges bear the most responsibility for the population at Rikers they could release hundreds if not thousands of people today.”

Watch the full interview segment here.