Scientists have found that most cells in our bodies regenerate every seven to 10 years on average. Can we assume, then, that our moral and emotional compasses are also capable of transforming over time? As a New York State parole commissioner for 12 years, I evaluated the readiness for release and risk to public safety of more than 75,000 incarcerated people. Yet in spite of those transformations, the number of aging long-termers warehoused in prisons has only increased in recent years. Two bills in the New York State Legislature could challenge that trend.

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Organizations: New, New York Locations: New York State