Sweeping reforms to New York State’s parole system will take effect starting March 1, 2022, thanks to the Less Is More Act. The new law will help keep people in their communities and out of jails and prisons. Here are three key pieces of information that all people on parole should know.

Certain parole violations will no longer result in jail time

Technical parole violations, like missing a curfew or a positive drug test will no longer result in automatic jail time. Instead, a ticket will be issued for a court appearance to address the reported violations.

Any alleged violation must be proven in court

Anyone accused of a parole violation is automatically entitled to a preliminary hearing, which must take place in courtrooms in the community. The new law says you have the right to a lawyer at every stage of the parole revocation process.

Time spent on parole can be shorter

Most people on parole will earn 30 days of time credit for every 30 days in the community with no violations. This could reduce the length of a parole sentence by half. When the law takes effect, people on parole will be eligible to receive up to two years of retroactive time credits.

Many details of the law are still being developed, for more information about how Less Is More affects people on parole click here.

If you have questions or need legal guidance on your parole situation, call The Legal Aid Society’s Parole Revocation Defense Unit at 212-577-3500.