New York’s prison population has dropped nearly in half since 2008, but the share of incarcerated people age 50 and older remains elevated, according to a new report from the state comptroller.
The February 2026 analysis found the total prison population declined 48 percent between 2008 and 2025, with one-third of that drop occurring during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Between March 2020 and March 2021 alone, the population fell by 10,861 people, a 26 percent decline. The number of incarcerated individuals age 50 and older fell by 1,603 people, or 17 percent, during that same period…