The Legal Aid Society applauded a court ruling which ensures that New Yorkers incarcerated on a parole violation before March 1, 2022, the effective date of the Less Is More legislation, are immediately entitled to a release hearing before a criminal court judge, as reported by the New York Daily News.

Earlier this month, Legal Aid filed a lawsuit on behalf of 91 incarcerated New Yorkers – clients who the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) had unlawfully denied a release hearing as guaranteed by the Less Is More Act, a transformative piece of legislation that overhauls New York’s outmoded and punitive parole practices.

“The law is clear: these New Yorkers were entitled to a release hearing as of March 1, 2022 and DOCCS had no legal authority to deny them this relief,” said Lorraine Mc Evilley, Director of the Parole Revocation Defense Unit at The Legal Aid Society. “Legal Aid lauds this ruling, which upholds the explicit intent of Less Is More to facilitate the decarceration of local jails, and we call on DOCCS to immediately schedule and conduct these hearings as prescribed by the law.”