On November 19, 2024, a gun-wielding parolee tried to rob a Queens bodega and a smoke shop before he was confronted by cops, wounding one of the officers before being shot dead. 

It was learned that the parolee was on the streets because a Queens judge cut him loose three months ago — even after prosecutors and his parole officer pushed to lock him up.

‘Less is More’ parole reform is clearly to blame for this tragedy. Prior to ‘Less is More,’ criminal court judges did not have the authority to release parolees after a parole warrant was issued. Parolees were held in custody pending the outcome of a parole revocation hearing. 

That all changed after New York State Governor Kathy Hochul signed ‘Less is More’ into law in 2021. To make matters worse, the union representing New York State Parole Officers, the Public Employees Federation (PEF), partially supported ‘Less is More’ and has done little to nothing to change the law. 

Fortunately, we’re taking matters into our own hands to Make Parole Great Again by advocating for Parole Officers to join the powerful New York State Correctional Officers & Police Benevolent Association (NYSCOPBA). We strongly believe NYSCOPBA would be more effective than PEF in our fight against progressive criminal justice polices like ‘Less is More.’  

If you’re a Parole Officer, Senior Parole Officer or Parole Revocation Specialist, and would like to Make Parole Great Again, click here to stop funding BIG PEF.

In solidarity,

New York State Parole Officers