Robert Dennison, Parole Board Chief Turned Inmate Advocate, Dies at 75
The New York Times, August 3, 2021: Robert Dennison, Parole Board Chief Turned Inmate Advocate, Dies at 75
“Robert Dennison, a former chairman of the New York State Parole Board who became a powerful champion of wrongfully convicted or remorseful inmates in high-profile cases, died on July 26 at a hospital in Manhattan. He was 75.
The cause was complications of leukemia, his son, Robert Dennison III, said.
Mr. Dennison’s post-retirement role on behalf of convicted criminals was all the more significant given the parole board’s wariness in dealing with inmates accused of brutal crimes, especially against law enforcement officers. And it was surprising given his own political credentials: He had enrolled as a member of the Conservative Party to improve his prospects of being appointed to the board in 2000.”
Additional reading:
The New Yorker, December 2, 2019: Prepping for Parole
New York Law Journal, September 16, 2013: Inmates Find Unlikely Advocate in Former Parole Board Chair
The Village Voice, June 5, 2017: New York’s Parole System Is ‘Broken,’ But Cuomo Can Help Fix It
The New York Times, June 4, 2010: Convicted of Murder as Teenager and Paroled at 41
