Golden Slams Governor On Parole Policy
State Senator Marty Golden gathered with a handful of Senate Republicans to blast the governor on the state’s parole policies, and to introduce reforms that would make it more difficult for cop-killers to walk the streets.
From Legislative Gazette:
“There are over 2,500 parolees in the city of New York right now, and they are wondering why crime is going up,” said Senate Crimes and Corrections Committee Ranking Member Martin Golden, R-Brooklyn, at a June 8 press conference in the Capitol.
“There are no jobs so these parolees are going back to what they know best. What is that?” he asked.
“It’s raping, murdering and killing — and that’s what’s happening,” said Golden, answering his own question.
Following a Parole Board decision to release a convicted cop killer and in advance of another cop killer up for parole, the senator, a retired police officer, lambasted Governor Paterson for giving violent offenders a “second chance.”
Golden plans to offer up reforms, including giving police chiefs the right to give an impact statement at parole hearings. Senate Republicans are also putting forward a requirement that the board must vote unanimously to grant parole to criminals facing a life sentence and are violent repeat offenders.
“Governor [David] Paterson and his administration have the blood of both of these officers [killed by the convicts recently granted parole] on their hands by allowing these dangerous and hardened criminals out to walk the streets of the Empire State. By passing these simple and common sense parole reforms we’d be saying to both [Officers] Gilroy and Giglio’s families that they did not die in vain,” said Golden.
The governors office responded in turn, saying that blame for the parole decisions should be pointed at his predecessors.
“Senator Golden’s comments are outrageous, and he owes Governor Paterson and his administration an apology,” said Paterson spokesman Morgan Hook. “The two Parole Board members who voted in favor of releasing Shuaib Raheem are Pataki appointees. Both of their terms expire this month, and they will both be replaced by Governor Paterson.”
