NYCLU on State Plans to Surveil Parolees in NYC Subways

NEW YORK CITY – The New York Civil Liberties Union has reviewed leaked internal reports from the state’s Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) concerning a planned pilot program which would, if implemented, target people released on parole who ride public transit in New York City. In response, the New York Civil Liberties Union released the following statement attributable to Special Counsel for Criminal Justice Litigation Daniel Lambright: 

“The NYCLU is extremely concerned about the reported plan by DOCCS to work with the NYPD to target people released on parole who ride the subway under the false pretense of public safety. People on parole and supervised release have the right to travel without fear that they are going to be harassed, searched, and followed by parole officers. They should be welcomed back into society, not made to feel like second-class citizens.    

“DOCCS should not deputize its parole officers to target parolees who are majority Black and Brown. If implemented, this program is security theater that raises significant constitutional concerns regarding search and seizure and due process. It is the latest in a series of misguided state and city initiatives to flood the subways with law enforcement. Real public safety comes from investing in social services and supports, not over-policing. DOCCS must abandon this misguided and harmful plan.”  

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