NY Parole Board Frees 43 Cop Killers—Now Makes $190K a Year

New York’s Parole Board is facing renewed criticism over its composition, high salaries, and controversial parole decisions.

A review of the board reveals a group of 16 members, many of them political appointees or former criminal defense attorneys, with several still serving long past their expired terms.

In the past eight years, the board has approved parole for at least 43 convicted cop killers.

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Parole board members now earn an annual salary of $190,000 — an 87% increase since 2019.

The board’s work volume has decreased by nearly half over the same period.

In 2022, the board handled 11,336 parole cases, down from 20,504 cases in 2018, according to a legislative report.

Among the most controversial members is Tana Agostini, who previously worked as a staffer for the state Assembly committee overseeing prisons.

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In 2013, Agostini used her influence to push for the parole of Thomas O’Sullivan, who was serving a sentence for a 1982 contract killing in Queens.

O’Sullivan had also escaped custody and assaulted another inmate. Agostini married O’Sullivan while he was still incarcerated.

She was appointed to the Parole Board in 2017 by then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

Of the current 16 board members, 11 are Democratic appointees who were placed or reappointed under Cuomo.

All are still serving, despite some of their terms expiring more than five years ago.

The board includes a number of former Legal Aid Society attorneys, public defenders, and prisoner-rights advocates.

Fewer members come from law enforcement backgrounds.

Critics argue that the board’s ideological leanings have compromised public safety.

“Cuomo stacked the parole board with his leftist friends who have no appreciation for the sacrifice our police make,” former Gov. George Pataki told the New York Post.

“It is just horrific and inexcusable that his board has released 43 convicted cop killers.”

The board began its wave of cop killer releases after Cuomo implemented new parole guidelines in 2017.

These rules, supported by progressive criminal justice advocates, prioritize an inmate’s behavior in prison, age, and perceived risk to society — often outweighing the severity of the original crime.

One upcoming case is that of David McClary, the gang member convicted in the 1988 murder of rookie NYPD officer Edward Byrne in Queens.

McClary is scheduled to appear before the board this month.

If released, he would become the 44th convicted cop killer granted parole.

Parole hearings are conducted by panels of three board members selected randomly.

Hearings are held virtually, and victims’ families are not permitted to attend. Instead, victim impact statements are read by a board member.

Hearings are closed to the public, and information on parole decisions is generally only available through Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) requests.

Although the board has 16 active members, it remains short of its full 19-member capacity.

Activist groups have pressured Gov. Kathy Hochul to fill the remaining seats.

Five of Hochul’s nominees currently serve on the board, including former Assemblyman Darryl C. Towns, who was named chair in 2023.

Some of Hochul’s appointees have been met with resistance.

In 2023, the governor nominated four candidates, including two former probation officers and one former NYPD official.

The Senate’s Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic, and Asian Legislative Caucus objected, criticizing the nominees as too aligned with traditional law enforcement.

Ultimately, all were confirmed except for Ernest F. Hart, a former NYPD Chief Legal Officer.

Another Hochul appointee, Brandon Stradford of Staten Island, was fired just two months after taking office.

Reports say he missed meetings and was found asleep on the job. Stradford declined to comment.

Independent mayoral candidate and former federal prosecutor Jim Walden called the board’s composition unbalanced.

“It’s a glaring hole — skewing the balance of experience to the left on every parole decision,” he said.

“Of the few in law enforcement, none have ever had to patrol a neighborhood or keep it safe.”

Despite repeated inquiries, Gov. Hochul’s office did not comment.

Former Gov. Cuomo’s spokesman, Rich Azzopardi, defended the appointments, stating, “This is an independent board whose members have a variety of backgrounds,” and emphasized that all appointees had been confirmed by the state Senate.

New York’s parole board members are nominated by the governor and confirmed by the Senate.

Once appointed, they can remain on the board past the end of their official term until a replacement is confirmed.

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