A set of bills could help elderly inmates with long sentences avoid dying in prison if passed.
Legislators listened to testimony surrounding the bills on Wednesday, according to the Times Union.
One incarcerated individual, Robert Lind, wrote about his situation from the Sullivan Correctional Facility in Fallsburg, New York.
Lind is 76 years old and was convicted of attempted murder in 1982 at 35 years old. On the 16th he will have spent 40 years in prison, with a sentence that carries a minimum 50 years behind bars.
Lind’s letter explained that respect for human dignity would be a chance to make amends and reintegrate with society.
The bills being considered would end people dying while incarcerated. The first would grant inmates who are 55 or older that have served the last 15 years automatic parole reviews. The second would make the parole board release individuals when their minimum sentence is up unless they are very clearly a risk to public safety.
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