In a letter to Judge Cathy Seibel, former Governor of NYS George Pataki has denied having a secret policy to deny the release of violent offenders by focusing on the severity of their crimes at their parole hearings.
"I never directed the Parole Board, nor did I instruct any member of my staff to direct the Parole Board to deny parole to any individual or group of inmates."
Lawyers for the inmates in the Graziano v. Pataki federal civil rights class action case accuse the Pataki administration of unconstitutionally rejecting parole for violent offenders to advance the administration's political and economic agendas.
Full story by Thomas Zambito in the NY Daily News
