Tedisco Calls for Justice for Crime Victims Legislation to Videotape Victim Impact Statements & Life Without Parole for Chronic Violent Offenders

Senator Jim Tedisco (R,C,I,REF-Glenville) today joined his Senate Republican Colleagues to urge the legislature to pass his legislation to enhance the voices of crime victims in parole hearings and to keep our communities safe and ensure dangerous offenders stay locked-up. 

Recently, convicted domestic terrorist Judith Clark, who participated in a bank heist that left two police officers and a security guard dead, was paroled.  This is on top of the parole over the past year of many violent felons, including NYPD cop killers Hermann Bell and Robert Hayes, and convicted baby killer Mary Beth Tinning from Schenectady.

Currently, if a victim or their family goes before the Parole Board to provide a victim’s impact statement, they only talk to one Parole Board commissioner with no guarantee that individual will be on the panel who will be deciding whether to grant parole or not. 

Senator Tedisco’s parole reform legislation would require all victim impact statements given in person be video recorded and viewed by the state Parole Board members who are tasked with deciding whether to release a convicted criminal so the panel can witness the emotional toll these crimes have taken on the victims and their loved ones (S.4127).

Tedisco also is prime sponsoring legislation for life imprisonment without parole for persistent violent felony offenders (S.357) and co-sponsoring legislation to extend the waiting time between parole hearings from 24 to 60 months (S.4354-Prime Sponsored by Senator Lavalle).

 “We can be compassionate for people who have made mistakes, done their time and are trying to turn their lives around, but first and foremost, we need justice and compassion for crime victims and ensure when it comes to granting parole that their voices are given much greater prominence,” said Senator Tedisco.

“So far this year, the legislature has gone over the cliff in tipping the scales of justice toward putting the rights of law-breakers and violent felons above and beyond the rights of honest, hard-working law-abiding citizens.  It’s time we bring balance back and deliver justice for crime victims and their families,” said Tedisco.