S1413-2013 Actions

• Jan 9, 2013: REFERRED TO CRIME VICTIMS, CRIME AND CORRECTION

S1413-2013 Memo

BILL NUMBER:S1413

TITLE OF BILL:
An act
to amend the correction law, in relation to notification of rules and
regulations of correctional facilities concerning visitors

PURPOSE:
To establish and maintain a public website that provides information
regarding specific visitation rules and regulations for all
correctional facilities.

SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Amends the correction law by adding a new section 138-a, to require
that the commissioner of the Department of Corrections and Community
Supervision (DOCCS) establish and maintain a website that provides
information to the public concerning the visitation rules and
regulations for all correctional facilities in New York State. The
website shall be regularly updated to ensure accuracy, and shall
designate a telephone number or numbers on the website that persons
may call for information about the visiting rules at various
correctional facilities.

JUSTIFICATION:
While New York's state prisons allow inmates to receive visitors, the
experience of being processed for visits varies greatly from one
facility to another. When families arrive at the "wrong" time, on the
"wrong" day, or with the "wrong" clothing or identification, they may
be turned away even if they have been traveling all night with young
children, Generally, there is no recourse for a person excluded from
visiting; no one to call during the weekend to resolve the problem or
elevate it to a supervisor once the officer at the front gate says
"no." This can be especially devastating for children of incarcerated
persons, who may have anticipated the visit for weeks.

Efforts should be made to make visiting rules and schedules publicly
accessible and to better ensure that families and friends understand
visiting procedures. By establishing a website and designating a
telephone number to make such information available to the public, we
can ensure that visitors have access to this information prior to
traveling to a correctional facility for a visit.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2011-2012: S.6044-A - Died in Committee

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS: Unknown.

EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after is shall have
become law.

S1413-2013 Text

 S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 
 
                                         1413
 2013-2014 Regular Sessions
 I N  SENATE
 (PREFILED)
 January 9, 2013
 
 Introduced   by   Sens.  MONTGOMERY,  DILAN,  PARKER,  PERKINS,  SAVINO,
 STEWART-COUSINS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to
 be committed to the Committee on Crime Victims, Crime and Correction
 

AN ACT to amend the correction law, in relation to notification of rules
 and regulations of correctional facilities concerning visitors
 THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

 

Section 1. The correction law is amended by adding a new section 138-a
 to read as follows:

 

S  138-A. NOTIFICATION OF VISITATION POLICIES. THE COMMISSIONER OF THE
 DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS AND COMMUNITY SUPERVISION SHALL ESTABLISH  AND
 MAINTAIN  ON  ITS PUBLIC WEBSITE INFORMATION CONCERNING SPECIFIC VISITA
 TION RULES, REGULATIONS, POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR  EACH  CORRECTIONAL
 FACILITY.  SUCH INFORMATION SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO, VISIT
 ING DAYS AND HOURS, LENGTH  AND  NUMBER  OF  ALLOWABLE  VISITS,  MAXIMUM
 NUMBER  OF  PEOPLE  PER  VISIT,  DRESS  CODE, GUIDELINES FOR PEOPLE WITH
 MEDICAL  AND  OTHER  SPECIAL  NEEDS  INCLUDING   PHYSICAL   ACCESS   AND
 RESTRICTIONS  ON  MEDICATIONS  WHILE  IN  THE FACILITY, INFANT CARE, AND
 ITEMS WHICH ARE RESTRICTED OR PROHIBITED BY VISITORS.  THE  COMMISSIONER
 SHALL  REGULARLY UPDATE THE INFORMATION PROVIDED ON THE WEBSITE PURSUANT
 TO THIS SECTION IN ORDER TO ENSURE THAT SUCH INFORMATION IS ACCURATE AND
 THAT VISITORS ARE NOTIFIED OF ANY NEW  OR  CHANGED  RULES,  REGULATIONS,
 POLICIES AND PROCEDURES. IN ADDITION, THE COMMISSIONER SHALL DESIGNATE A
 TELEPHONE  NUMBER OR NUMBERS THAT PERSONS MAY CALL FOR INFORMATION ABOUT
 THE VISITING RULES, REGULATIONS, POLICIES AND PROCEDURES AT THE  VARIOUS
 FACILITIES. SUCH TELEPHONE NUMBER OR NUMBERS SHALL ALSO BE POSTED ON THE
 WEBSITE.
 

S  2.  This  act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
 have become a law.
 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD04043-01-3

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