This week, Assemblywoman Mary Beth Walsh (R,C,I-Ballston) voiced her concerns for Assembly Bill 4319, a bill that would permit the Board of Parole to evaluate all inmates over the age of 55 for possible parole release. Inmates eligible would be those who have served at least 15 years in prison regardless of completing their minimum sentence.

The bill was introduced a week before parole was granted to domestic terrorist Judith M. Clark, a known cop killer who only served about 37 years out of her original 75-to-life prison sentence. Judith Clark was a member of a communist organization in the early eighties and aided in the Brink's robbery of 1981, causing the death of two police officers and a security guard.

“The purpose of prison sentences is to hold those accountable for their actions, prevent future crimes and bring a sense of justice to victims. This bill has the potential to take away all of these important aspects in our criminal justice system,” said Walsh. “I question why state Majority has shown leniency to criminals but continue to cripple our middle class and businesses with overbearing taxes and regulations. There are a number of meaningful bills our legislators should be advocating for, and this is not one of them.”