UNDERSTANDING PAROLE IN NEW YORK
In New York State, parole is the system by which people serving indeterminate prison sentences obtain release.
LAST REVISED AUG 25, 2026
GENERAL INFO, NOT LEGAL ADVICE
Parole asks who a person is today.
A person serving an indeterminate sentence in New York State who has reached their minimum term may be interviewed by the New York State Board of Parole.
The Board decides, case by case, whether release to the community is appropriate at that time. The Board’s decision is based on many factors, including the person’s institutional record, program participation, release plans, and more.
Parole looks at who you are today, what you've done to grow, and how you plan to live responsibly in the community
THE PAROLE PROCESS
PAROLE ELIGIBILITY
PREPARE MATERIALS
BOARD INTERVIEW
DECISION
IF GRANTED
IF DENIED
As the applicant nears the end of their minimum sentence, they are scheduled to appear before the Board of Parole for release consideration.​​
The applicant prepares for their interview and may submit a parole packet, personal statement, release plans, and letters of support.
The applicant appears before a panel of Board members, who ask about their history, growth while incarcerated, and plans for release.
The Board reviews the applicant's case and decides whether to grant or deny release. They receive a written decision within two weeks of the interview.
The Board sets a release date and conditions. The release plan is finalized before the applicant returns to the community.
The applicant receives the reasons for the denial and a date for their next Board appearance, which cannot be more than 24 months after the current appearance. They may also appeal the decision.
Parole Commissioners, appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the New York State Senate, serve six-year terms. Though the Executive Law allows for 19 Commissioners, there are currently only 12 Commissioners. This severe understaffing has led to myriad procedural problems, over-worked Commissioners, higher caseloads, shorter parole interviews, and less time for individualized evaluations of parole applicants.
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The Board of Parole is also a highly political body that has historically taken a punitive and “tough on crime” approach to the parole release process. The Board’s decisions are heavily influenced by the policies of the reigning gubernatorial administration, and special interest groups like law enforcement and the state prosecutors’ offices.
Board of Parole
Impact
Most people appearing before the Board have accepted full responsibility for their crimes, undergone deep personal transformations, and have solid release plans. However, the Board systematically disregards the many accomplishments of applicants and their often categorically low risk for recidivism, instead citing the nature of a person’s crime in their denials.
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Many applicants appear before the Board multiple times before they are granted release, forcing them to languish in prison many years longer than their minimum sentence. These practices have an especially devastating consequence for the nearly 9,000 people serving sentences with a maximum of life, leaving this group subject to potentially indefinite confinement, as they have no other path to release. Many people serving life sentences have lost hope of ever obtaining freedom. Many believe they will die in prison, and in reality, some will.
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People Most Affected
The Board’s practices also exemplify nationwide criminal justice policies that are rooted in retribution and racism. As with the criminal legal system at large, people of color, and more specifically Black men, are profoundly and disproportionately impacted by parole policy. Aging and elderly people are also deeply affected. Many people serving life sentences are over the age of 50, with some entering their 60s and 70s, and their release rates remain intractably low despite the statistical fact that criminal conduct decreases substantially with age and infirmity.