Why shelters have an explosion in the population of single men

From the Daily News:

Parolees from state prisons are surging into city shelters, with 4,122 sent there last year, up from 2,152 at the start of de Blasio’s first term.

They are more likely shown to a cot in drug-infested barracks or a bed in a pricey hotel room than a specialized residence to help ex-offenders.

A year too late, facts force departure from the mayor’s noble-progressive-warrior script. Now he says of the parole parade: “This is exacerbating our homelessness problem.”

That’s an understatement: Roughly one in five of all the new arrivals in adult shelters last year was a parolee, accounting for most of an influx that brought 20,000 men and women to check in at some point.

Only this past December did the city homeless agency start helping parole officers steer clients away from shelters.

Something the governor should do right now

From the Huffington Post:

Even after a reportedly mentally ill ex-prisoner, Ismaaiyl Brinkley shot New York City Police Department officers, Liu Wenjin and Raphael Ramos, New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo is refusing to sign a bill (S7818) that passed both houses and is on his desk right now.

The "Prisoners Mental Health Discharge Planning Bill" would require prison officials to make sure prisoners with mental illness who are being released are

• given a discharge plan,
• an appointment with a community program,
• and enough medications to last until the appointment.
• It also adds parole officials to the list of people who can refer someone with a mental illness to a hospital for evaluation.

Media reports say Ismaaiyl Brinsley who shot officers Liu Wenjin and Raphael Ramos was reported by his mom to be mentally ill, and reported himself to have been previously institutionalized. He was also previously incarcerated. While Brinsley was not a New York resident, this bill would help prevent violence by similarly situated people who do leave a New York prison. Cuomo should sign it today.

The bill was sponsored Senator Catharine Young and Assemblyman Danny O'Donnell. Supporters include Mental Illness Policy Org, the NYS Association of Chiefs of Police and the National Alliance on Mental Illness of NYS

We also note that Mayor DeBlasio's Task Force on Mentally Ill at Riker's Island Jail failed to include expansion of Kendra's Law in their recommendations. Kendra's Law reduces homelessness, arrest, violence and incarceration by mentally ill ex-prisoners by keeping them in mandated and monitored community treatment.

Parolee responsible for car break-in spree

From LIC Post:

The police believe that they have nabbed a man responsible for a large number of neighborhood auto break-ins.

Long Island City—from Court Square through Hunters Point—has been subject to about 60 auto break-ins in recent months, according to Captain Brian Hennessy, the commanding officer of the 108 police precinct. However, an August 24 bust has brought that spike to a halt, he said.

Hennessy said the police caught the perpetrator breaking into the cars by wrapping his fist up in clothing and punching the windows.

They arrested Rafael Medina, a 45-year-old from the Bronx, who was out on parole when he was busted. He is back in prison.

Hank Morris on his way out of prison

From the NY Post:

Hank Morris -- a top political adviser to disgraced ex-state Comptroller Alan Hevesi imprisoned in a pay-to-play pension fund scam – was granted parole in his fourth bid for freedom, state officials said today.

Morris had served 26 months behind bars after pleading guilty to securities fraud, admitting he used his connections to Hevesi to get millions of dollars for himself form firms seeking state pension fund business.

The state Parole Board approved Morris’ release in a decision on Monday after a state judge ordered a new hearing after claiming the board had unfairly held up the convict’s release by “inexplicably” failing to consider evidence in Morris’ favor.

Morris, 59, could be released June 3 or sooner.

One getting out, another going in

From NY1:

Former State Comptroller Alan Hevesi will be released from prison Wednesday.
A state parole board panel approved Hevesi's release last month.

He's been behind bars since April of last year after a guilty plea on felony corruption charges in a pay-to-play pension scandal.

The Queens Democrat was originally sentenced to one to four years.

He will be on parole through April 2015.

From NY1:

Former Queens lawmaker Hiram Monserrate was sentenced to two years in prison Tuesday.

He must also pay $79,000 in restitution after he pleaded guilty in May to felony conspiracy and mail fraud.

Prosecutors say he diverted $100,000 in City Council grant funds to pay for an unsuccessful state Senate campaign.

"From a very early age I learned when you commit sins you must atone for the sins," Monserrate said. "I took responsibility and this is part of the atonement."

The judge who issued the sentencing compared Monserrate to former president Richard Nixon and said people who use other people's money for their own purposes belong in the lowest level of hell.

The former state Senator is scheduled to report to prison on March 11.

Hevesi to be sprung from prison soon

From the Daily News:

Disgraced former state Controller Alan Hevesi will be out of prison for the holidays, the Daily News has learned.

A state Parole Board panel approved Hevesi’s second attempt at parole after a Wednesday hearing, a source familiar with the situation said.

Now known as inmate 11-R-1334, the 72-year-old Hevesi will be back home by Dec. 19.

The former pol was denied his first shot at parole last December by a 2-to-1 vote of a Parole Board panel. In keeping him locked up, the majority cited his “shallow” attempt at accepting blame.

Andrew Hevesi said his father this time accepted full responsibility during the hearing.

Hevesi said his father also took responsibility “for several life-long patterns that have hurt his family and friends that are unrelated to what happened in the controller’s office."

His crony, Hank Morris, was denied parole.

Hank Morris denied parole

From the Daily News:

The mastermind behind the state's biggest ever pay-to-play pension fund scandal was denied parole.

Hank Morris, the scandal ringleader and former political svengali for disgraced ex-Controller Alan Hevesi, will remain behind bars for at least another year.

Morris is serving up to four years in prison after pleading guilty to a single felony for securities fraud in a kickback scheme that netted him $19 million.

A three-person state parole panel after, interviewing Morris Wednesday, found his release from prison “is not consistent with the public safety and welfare of the community.”

The panel indicated that if Morris hits the streets, “there is a reasonable probability” he would again violate the law.

Morris apparently was well aware that his former friend Hevesi, who is serving up to four years for his role in the scandal at a different prison, was previously denied parole for not showing enough remorse.

According to a hearing transcript, Morris repeatedly said he was not trying to minimize what he had done as he tried to explain his actions.

That led one frustrated parole board member to snap: “you’ve made it clear. You’ve made it clear. You don’t have to keep saying that.”

Alan staying in the pokey

From the Daily News:

Disgraced former state Controller Alan Hevesi was denied his first attempt at parole Thursday and will spend at least another year behind bars, the Daily News has learned.

The once powerful Queens Democrat is serving a one-to-four year sentence at medium-security Mid-Hudson Correctional Facility in Oneida County for his role in a massive pay-to-play pension fund scandal during his tenure as state controller.

A three-member parole panel voted 2 to 1 to keep him locked up, citing his “shallow” attempt at accepting blame.

Hevesi a pa-role model

From the Daily News:

Disgraced ex-Controller Alan Hevesi is still cleaning up — by collecting a $168,000 per year pension and sweeping floors for $1 a day behind bars.

Hevesi is seven months into a one-to-four year stint at medium-security Mid-Hudson Correctional Facility in Oneida County for his role in a massive pay-to-play pension fund scandal during his tenure as state controller.

The 71-year-old wakes each day at 6:30 a.m. in his 8-by-9-foot off-white cell that is furnished with a bed, sink, toilet, locker and metal writing table.

After shoveling in morning chow that this week will consist of oatmeal and cereal, toast, milk, coffee and juice, he begins his five-days-a-week, $1-per-day job manning a mop in the protective custody unit he shares with 21 other inmates. He toils at the task for six hours each day.

The prison janitor also has a spotless disciplinary record and has been a model inmate, officials say, and has earned recreation periods before lights out at 11 p.m. — 2 a.m. on weekends.

Hevesi is due for his first parole hearing next month. If it’s granted, the earliest he will be released is April 14. The Queens native could have been sprung as early as February, but he has not undertaken the merit-time programs needed to shave the two months off his time, Foglia said.