Archived Landing Page for the #LessIsMoreNY Campaign

Less is More New York

We won this campaign and the new law has been implemented, so this page is no longer being updated. If you have any questions, please contact Katal or Unchained.

Katal: info@katalcenter.org | Unchained: emily@weareunchained.org

There are approximately 35,000 people under active parole supervision in New York State who at almost any time can see their efforts to successfully rejoin the workforce and reintegrate into their families and their communities disrupted by reincarceration for a technical violation. This not only harms individual lives and families without commensurate public safety gains, but also drives up the population in the state prisons and local jails, wasting taxpayer money. 

New York imprisons more people for non-criminal “technical” violations of parole like missing an appointment with a parole officer, being late for curfew, or testing positive for alcohol and other drugs than any state in the country. 

The Less Is More Act was passed by the New York legislature in June and on September 17, 2021, Governor Hochul signed the bill into law. Most provisions take effect March 1, 2022 and it will be fully implemented by July 2022, but there is a provision that allows for the full and immediate implementation of #LessIsMoreNY before the effective date. 

Less Mass Supervision = More Safety & Justice

PROVISIONS

Restricting the Use of Incarceration for Technical Violations

Incarceration would be eliminated as a sanction for most technical violations. Certain technical violations could still result in jail time, but it would be capped at a maximum of 30 days.

Bolstering Due Process

Rather than being automatically detained in local jails, people accused of a technical violation of parole would be issued a written notice of violation with a date to appear in court and would remain at liberty for any hearings.

Providing Speedy Hearings

Persons under community supervision shall be afforded a speedy adjudicatory hearing upon an alleged violation of their conditions of release. Hearings would be conducted within 30 days rather than taking up to 105 days.

Providing Earned Time Credits

People under community supervision would be eligible to earn a 30-day “earned time credits” reduction in their community supervision period for every 30-day period in which they do not violate a condition of supervision.

Voices of Coalition Members

“The need for legislation like Less is More to be implemented has been long overdue. We need to make sure that we are giving our people the proper chance to move forward with their lives in the community.”

Avion Gordon, 2021

“While on parole, I always felt the threat that any little mistake I made, whether it was showing up late for an appointment or being late for curfew, my parole officer would send me back to prison.”

Yamira Vazquez, 2021

Less is More NY – Posts

By The Numbers

5,780

Of people on parole whom New York sent back to prison in 2018, over 5,780 or 66% were reincarcerated for technical violations.

– 2020 BJS Report

1/3

In 2017, nearly 1/3 of the new admissions to state prisons are due to people reincarcerated for technical violations of parole.   

–2019 CSG Report

85%

In 2018, 85% of people on parole who were reincarcerated were not convicted of a new crime. 

–2020 BJS Report

12X

The racial disparity is stark: In 2019, Black people were incarcerated in New York City jails for technical parole violations at more than 12 times the rate of whites.

–2020 Columbia Justice Lab Report 

Take Action

The Less Is More: Community Supervision Revocation Reform Act (S1144A/A5576A) passed the New York State Senate and Assembly in June 2021 and was signed into law by Governor Hochul in September 2021.  We need you to contact Governor Hochul to ensure that she fully and effectively implements the #LessIsMoreNY Act.

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