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Watch: LAS Client Remains Incarcerated for Crime of Poverty

Reginald Randolph, a client of The Legal Aid Society who spent over 850 days on Rikers Island and is now in state prison after a conviction for stealing cold medicine, is the subject of a new profile by Pix11 News.

Mr. Randolph – a nearly blind man who spent more than 850 days in a Rikers Island jail facility after stealing NyQuil cold medication was transferred to a state prison facility in late November. He is now serving a 2-4 year sentence there. He was not included amongst Gov. Kathy Hochul’s recent Christmas clemency grants and remains behind bars.

“My inmate number is 21A-2448,” Randolph told PIX11 News. “I’m being over prosecuted for my case, it feels like. I understand. I’m human. I’ve made some mistakes.”

The Legal Aid Society filed an emergency clemency application in September 2021 on behalf of Mr. Randloph and has secured him placement in a supportive housing program with robust wrap around substance use, mental ​health, and medical services, as opposed to a homeless shelter or a psychiatric hospital, which will likely result if he is required to serve out his sentence and be released onto parole for this non-violent charge.

Watch the full segment below.