The Legal Aid Society called on Governor Andrew Cuomo to act on the more than 100 COVID-19-related clemency applications that have been pending with the Governor’s office since this past April, reports WNYC/Gothamist.

This call comes as COVID-19 positive cases continue to soar, ​claiming the lives of 20 incarcerated New Yorkers and infecting more than 2,600 more, as of December 25, 2020. Since Cuomo became Governor in 2010, he has rarely used his clemency powers,

“We really thought this was a real opportunity for the governor to grant relief to a significant number of individuals who really deserved a second chance. We had hoped the governor was going to be a leader on this issue. It’s been a disappointment,” said Ted Hausman, Supervising Attorney with the Criminal Appeals Bureau at The Legal Aid Society.