Wayne Spence, a NYS Parole Officer and head of the Public Employees Federation (PEF) since 2015 has clinched a fourth three-year term, a first in the union’s history. Spence is also the first Black and downstate president to head the union.

Unfortunately, Spence has not done much for his fellow Parole Officers during his time as president. Spence endorsed NYS Governor Kathy Hochul after she signed the ‘Less is More’ parole reform legislation into law.

Moreover, his position on ‘Less is More’ has been inconsistent, to say the least. Before the legislation was passed, Spence opposed it. Yet, once it was enacted, he supported specific components, such as earned time credits for parolees who stick to their parole plans and faster revocation proceedings. And now, he is calling for amendments to the very law he partially endorsed.

Regarding a “25 & out” retirement plan for Parole Officers, Spence never advocated for said legislation as president. Currently, Parole Officers are the only peace officers at the New York State Department of Corrections & Community Supervision (DOCCS) without a “25 & out” pension plan. 

Finally, prior to Spence being president of PEF, he believed that Parole Officers should have been represented by a law enforcement union. Now, as president of PEF, Spence is opposed to Parole Officers joining New York’s independent law enforcement union, the New York State Correctional Officers & Police Benevolent Association (NYSCOPBA). 

A labor union is supposed to support its member’s interests, not go against them. And that’s why we’re encouraging all Parole Officers, Senior Parole Officers and Parole Revocation Specialists to stand up against PEF and stop funding an ineffective union by clicking, here. 

In solidarity,

New York State Parole Officers