* 1999-00 through 2001-02 reflect enacted appropriations.
* 2002-03 and 2003-04 reflect Executive recommended appropriations.

The Department of Correctional Services (DOCS) is responsible for the operation of 70 correctional facilities and the supervision of an under-custody population of approximately 66,700 inmates who have been sentenced to a term of incarceration which is greater than one year.

The Executive proposes on All Funds appropriation of $2,211,995,000 for the 2003-04 State Fiscal Year (SFY), which represents a decrease of $53,226,000 or 2.3 percent from SFY 2002-03 appropriation levels.

The Department is included in the Public Protection and General Government appropriation bill.

State Operations

The Executive recommends an All Funds appropriation for State Operation of $1,995,595,000 for SFY 2003-04, representing a $32,813,000 decrease from SFY 2002-03.

The Governor projects cost savings in SFY 2003-2004 as a result of the following proposals:

• the release of 600 inmates under the current Population Takedown Plan and the release of an additional 1,300 inmates through the implementation of three Article VII provisions related to early release, an attrition of 344 corrections officers and 72 program service Full Time Equivalent (FTE) positions is proposed to result in $28,796,000 in savings;
• a reduction in 36 FTE positions performing administration functions, resulting in a savings of $2,485,000; and
• a reduction of 30 FTE positions due to underutilized medical capacity at the Bedford Hills and Fishkill correctional facilities, resulting in a savings of $2,056,000.

The Executive proposes a $3,175,000 increase in non-personal service in the Health Services Program. The Executive asserts that DOCS has the resources to meet the full need for AIDS screening and interventions, reflected in part by these funds would supplement existing General Fund appropriations for AIDS-related medications as well as psychotropic medications for inmates with mental illnesses. The Special Revenue-Other Family Benefit Fund would continue to support the purchase of AIDS related medications.

Aid To Localities

The Executive recommends a General Fund Aid to Localities appropriation of $11,400,000 for reimbursement to localities for the care of State-ready inmates and inmates who await coram nobis proceedings.

Capital Projects

The Executive recommends a Capital appropriation of $205,000,000 for ongoing maintenance and rehabilitation of existing correctional facilities.

Article VII

The Executive proposes legislation that would amend the Correction, Executive and Penal Laws to authorize non-violent inmates with exemplary disciplinary and program participation records to be released from incarceration under certain conditions as follows:

Allow non-violent A-1 drug offenders to be eligible for twice the existing merit time benefit;
Expand the allowable minimum sentence for an inmate to participate in the Earned Eligibility Program (EEP) from a six-year minimum to an eight year minimum sentence; and
Enhance the EEP program to allow non-violent inmates to be automatically released if the inmate has excellent program participation and a good record of behavior while incarcerated.

The Executive also propose the following legislation:

Enable Correctional Industries (Corcraft) to enter into reciprocal purchasing agreements with other States and the Federal Government;
Increase charges for license plate renewal from $5.50 to $15.00;
Extend provisions related to the psychological testing of correction officer candidates;
Extend provisions related to prisoner furloughs and the crime of absconding from a facility;
Extend provisions related to the Earned Eligibility Program;
Extend provisions of the Comprehensive Alcohol and Substance Abuse Treatment (CASAT) program, which allows inmates to enter a residential treatment facility upon successful completion of the CASAT program;
Extend provisions of the Temporary Release Program;
Extend provisions that designate the capacity of the CASAT program and limit eligibility for the Temporary Release Program;
Extend provisions related to community treatment and the crime of absconding from a community treatment facility;
Extend provisions related to the incarceration fee;
Extend the Local Conditional Release Law;
Extend provisions related to release of inmates on medical parole;
Extend provisions related to Merit Time; and
Extend provisions related to prisoner litigation reform.