Sepulveda, Walker, De La Rosa, Blake, Mosley, Barron
 
MLTSPNSR
 
Add §138-b, Cor L
 
Relates to the establishment of an inmate visitation program, which gives inmates opportunities for personal contact with relatives, friends, clergy, volunteers and other persons to promote better institutional adjustment and better community adjustment upon release.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
 
BILL NUMBER: A7241A
SPONSOR: Weprin
 
TITLE OF BILL: An act to amend the correction law, in relation to the
establishment of an inmate visitation program
 
PURPOSE:
To establish the inmate visiting program in state and local correctional
facilities
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 adds a new section 138-b to the correction law establishing a
section authorizing inmate visits.
Section 2 provides an effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
Research has shown that inmates who receive visits from family, friends
and volunteers are significantly less likely to recidivate than inmates
who do not receive visits. DOCCS has long allowed visitation in its
facilities, although nothing in law requires them to do so. The benefits
of an inmate visitation program include but are not limited to: provid-
ing jobs for correctional staff, incentivizing program participation,
increasing inmate morale and facility safety, and facilitating reentry
through the preservation of family bonds.
This bill ensures that video visitation may not take the place of
in-person visitation. The goal of the visitation program is to provide
institutional safety, inmate rehabilitation and public safety. This
legislation also calls for a policy to be created to facilitate visita-
tions during high peak times.
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None.
 
LOCAL FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
NOne.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect one hundred and twenty days after it shall
have become law.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
7241--A
Cal. No. 506
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
April 12, 2017
___________
Introduced by M. of A. WEPRIN, SEPULVEDA, WALKER, DE LA ROSA, BLAKE,
MOSLEY -- read once and referred to the Committee on Correction --
ordered to a third reading, amended and ordered reprinted, retaining
its place on the order of third reading
AN ACT to amend the correction law, in relation to the establishment of
an inmate visitation program
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The correction law is amended by adding a new section 138-b
2 to read as follows:
3 § 138-b. Inmate visitation program. State and local correctional
4 facilities shall provide inmate visitation programs which give inmates
5 opportunities for personal contact with relatives, friends, clergy,
6 volunteers and other persons to promote better institutional adjustment
7 and better community adjustment upon release. Such program shall
8 include, but not be limited to, (a) visiting hours that are reasonably
9 likely to accommodate persons traveling from within the state, (b)
10 visits of sufficient duration so that visitors and inmates will be able
11 to maintain relationship bonds, and (c) a published overcrowding policy
12 that is equitable with due consideration to the distance traveled by the
13 visitor. Video visitation may supplement, but shall not take the place
14 of, in-person visitation. No inmate is to be visited against his or her
15 will by any person.
16 § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after
17 it shall have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD10877-04-8