Today, is the fifth anniversary of Governor Kathy Hochul signing the Less Is More Act into law. The success of this reform is a result of you all — the grassroots, statewide coalition featuring over 300 organizations, law enforcement officials, faith groups, and more. Together we organized across the state and fought tooth and nail in Albany to pass this law, and in the end we won. Check out the press release we issued today celebrating this anniversary.
Five years after Gov. Hochul signed it into law, the Less Is More Act has had a transformative impact on tens of thousands of New Yorker’s in the justice system. Data from an upcoming report by Unchained, one of the groups that led the campaign, demonstrates the incredible, positive impact of the new law:
- Since the passage of Less Is More, the number of people held in local jails for technical parole violations has declined by nearly 80%, compared to pre-pandemic numbers.
- The number of people incarcerated in state prisons for parole violations declined by 84% between 2022 and 2025.
- In 2022, six state prisons were closed due to the declining prison population, with Less Is More cited as a contributing factor.
- Overall, New York’s parole population has been cut in half since the provisions of Less Is More took effect.
- All of this has occurred while the percentage of people on parole who returned to prison with a new sentence for a new crime has remained steady over the past decade, never rising above 3%.
We know that the fight to advance justice and create safer communities for all New Yorkers continues, including the fight to shut Rikers and hold New York’s jail and prison watchdog agency accountable. But on this five-year anniversary, we’ll take a moment to celebrate this monumental and historic achievement together. We are honored and proud to stand with you and continue this fight.
In solidarity,
Melanie, Yonah, gabriel, and Lakenya
Photo: The Less is More Coalition outside Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office in New York City, Sept 2021