Might "big change" in New York leadership include a better record on clemency?

I got to thinking today that the coming resignation of Andrew Cuomo will end a particularly disappointing recent chapter in state clemency activity.  Notably, in the wake of Prez Obama;s 2014 Clemency Project, NY Gov Cuomo started talking big about NY clemency efforts in 2015 and again in 2017 (see posts here and here).  But, after talking the talk, Gov Cuomo thereafter never actually delivered significant results.  Here were a few prior posts covering some of Gov Cuomo's pre-COVID failings as of January 2020:

• Despite creating lots of clemency hope, NY Gov Cuomo delivers little clemency relief 
• "Cuomo's Clemency and Cruelty of False Hope"

And here are just a few of a number of press pieces from the COVID era highlighting that Gov Cuomo's clemency record did not improve during the pandemic: "While COVID-19 Spreads In NY Prisons, Loved Ones On The Outside Plead With Cuomo For Clemency" and "Prisoners Hoping for Mercy Place Little Faith in Cuomo."  (It is also worth recalling a story detailing that Gov Cuomo was not inspiring as to other prison policies during the pandemic: "Judge says Cuomo's prison COVID-19 vaccine policies were 'arbitrary and capricious'.")

The headline of this recent CBNC piece about the leadership transition in Albany, "Kathy Hochul vows big change from ‘toxic’ Cuomo administration, will fire ‘unethical’ staffers," has me hoping that "big change" in Albany will include a whole new approach to clemency.  After very disappointing work by Gov Cuomo, I hope that a new Gov brings some new hope to clemency advocates in New York.  For a host of reasons, I think it would be unrealistic to expect the incoming Gov to prioritize clemency issues right away, but I also think advocates would be wise to urge her to use her clemency pen as another way to distinguish herself from her predecessor.