Requires the notice to crime victims of case disposition to inform the victim of the right to attend interviews between the board of parole and the incarcerated individual in cases where the final disposition includes a felony defined in article one hundred twenty-five of the penal law that results in the commitment of the defendant to the custody of the department of corrections and community supervision for an indeterminate sentence; requires the board of parole to review victim impact statements, failure to review such statements shall make a hearing by the board of parole invalid.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A5781
SPONSOR: Chludzinski TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the criminal procedure law, in relation to requiring the
notice to crime victims of case disposition to inform the victim of the
right to attend interviews between the board of parole and the incarcer-
ated individual; and to amend the executive law, in relation to requir-
ing the board of parole to review victim impact statements
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
Requires notice to crime victims that he or she has the right to attend
interviews between the board of parole and incarcerated individual;
requires the board of parole to review victim impact statements.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section I: Subdivision 1 of section 440.50 of the criminal procedure
law, as amended by chapter 322 of the laws of 2021 is amended.
Section II: Subdivision 2 of section 259-I of the executive law is
amended by adding a new paragraph.
Section III: Provides the effective date.
JUSTIFICATION:
One of the hallmarks of our criminal justice system is ensuring that the
rights of crime victims are held in high regard. In recent years, it
appears as if this has fallen by the wayside or has been willingly
ignored. This bill would restore the rights of crime victims by forcing
the Parole Board to read their impact statements and allow for victims
of crime to attend the interviews between Parole Board members and the
criminals up for release.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2023/24: A.4623 - held for consideration in Codes
2021/22: A.8817 - held for consideration in Codes
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
None.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.
