Recent changes to the parole law in the state have led to a troubling situation, where a self-confessed murderer and sex offender was allowed to freely wander the city streets. This change in the legislation, known as the ‘Less Is More’ parole reforms, came into effect in 2022 and plays a central role in this contentious issue. Jamel McGriff, a former convict and registered sex offender on parole, had violated parole regulations in the summer by failing to inform authorities of his new address. Amazingly, just three years prior, this violation in itself would have meant certain incarceration.
The ‘Less Is More’ law intends to keep parolees out of prison while the court process figures out whether they are guilty or not of newly alleged charges. In addition, the new law also introduced a policy forgiving the first two parole infractions. This legislation, initiated two years after the controversial changes to bail reform laws, received less public scrutiny and media coverage than its predecessor, despite the similarity in their potential to loop criminals back into society.
Phara Souffrant Forrest, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, was the author of this bill, a fact that scores some versus others depending on their political philosophy. Her political ally, an Assemblyman and an aspirant for the office of Mayor, together with several others, co-sponsored the bill. They believed the system was entrenched more in retribution and punishment rather than rehabilitation, arguing that this bill was a key component in the larger project of ensuring ex-convicts had a chance at successfully reintegrating into their communities.
Assembly leaders and the Senate Majority Leader championed this bill until it was finally enacted to law by the Governor, to applause or resentment in different quarters. However, since its implementation, concerns have grown vehemently. There is an increasing tension suggesting that the parole reform may have been a Pandora’s box, releasing violent criminals back onto the streets of New York City.
According to last year’s records, out of the 20,968 convicts on parole who committed new offenses in the state of New York, a startling 85%— or 17,825 individuals — were allowed to remain free while encountering pending new charges. A sharp contrast with the mere 57% or 10,121 of 17,633 individuals who stayed free in 2021 before the new law came into effect.
Before enactment of the ‘Less Is More’ law, an offense such as McGriff’s — failing to register his new address as a sex-offender — would have enabled his parole officer to have him detained until the conclusion of a hearing. The troubling current scenario, however, reveals that McGriff was the chief suspect in two armed hold-ups in the city during the summer, underscoring the unwelcome effects of the new legislation.
The new parole reforms also altered the requirements to prove a parole violation. Previously, proof had to meet the ‘preponderance of the evidence’ standard. Now, however, it must meet a stricter ‘clear and convincing evidence.’ The shift in standard led to a significant drop in the number of individuals incarcerated for parole violations. Department of Corrections data shows a 38% drop from 2,332 in 2021 to 1,437 in 2024.
Some detractors emphasized that the goal of the reform to erect more barriers to revoke parole even in cases where there are new charges pending was colored by the mistaken belief that ‘mass imprisonment’ is primarily driven by the revocation of parole. Jamel McGriff’s horrifying case brought this issue into sharp relief. McGriff, 35, was on parole, having served 17 years of a 20-year sentence for burglary, robbery, and sexual assault, when accused of killing an elderly couple inside their home.
In addition to McGriff, there are other disturbing examples of this law’s consequences. Among these cases is Jeffery “Zay” Mackenzie, who, after serving 21 years for a murder at a laundromat, was granted lifetime parole in 2022. Since then, Mackenzie has been detained at least four times on charges of drug dealing, with legal proceedings still ongoing.
One more case involves Lateef Green, a man without a fixed abode who is currently facing the legal system for an alleged unprovoked knife attack while wearing brass knuckles. Green, who had previously served just under four years for a hate attack resulting in a broken nose in 2016, was paroled in 2021. Interestingly, Green was apprehended for fare evasion just two months prior to the alleged subway attack. The court proceedings for this case are still unresolved.
Waheed Foster, a former inmate and currently transient individual, seemingly illustrates the potential pitfalls of the revised policy. Foster, who had previously been convicted for murdering his own grandmother at the young age of 14, was accused of a violent assault on a woman at a subway station in Queens while on parole in 2022. Most alarming, perhaps, was the fact that prior to the attack Foster had been arrested for another crime while he was on parole.
Charles Rowe, enduring life on parole after serving nearly 35 years for the brutal sexual assault and murder of a 10-year-old girl in Queens, is another case that raises concerns. Despite being detained while on parole for car theft a few months earlier, Rowe was later charged with sexually assaulting one woman and raping another.
In one of the most shocking confessions, McGriff admitted to the killing and sexual assault of the elderly couple after he was arrested, adding yet another brutish crime to his already grim record. Such alarming cases prompt us to question the efficacy of the ‘Less Is More’ legislation and what it may mean for the safety of our communities.
The post New York’s ‘Less Is More’ Parole Reforms: A Closer Look at the Controversy appeared first on Real News Now.
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