Requires the commissioner of corrections and community supervision to collect and report on data from the office of special investigations regarding complaints received by such office in the previous quarter.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A8573
SPONSOR: Dilan TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the correction law, in relation to reports on data
collected from the office of special investigations
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
This purpose of this bill is to establish data reporting requirements
for the department of correction and community supervision regarding
complaints received by its office of special investigations.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section one would require that the commissioner shall collect data
regarding the number and type of complaints received by the department's
office of special investigations and shall accordingly issue a quarterly
report to the legislature with such information. Such quarterly reports
shall also include the total number of investigations closed by the
office, total number of referrals made by the office to other agencies,
and staffing data. This section would also require that the department
issue an annual report to relevant departmental program areas on recom-
mendations made by the office and action taken in response to the recom-
mendations, in addition to the average length of time it took the office
to close an investigation by division for each correctional facility.
Section two would provide for the effective date.
JUSTIFICATION:
There is a need for greater transparency and accountability from the
Department of Correction and Community Supervision and the office of
special investigations within the department that provides oversight of
DOCCS facilities and conducts investigations within the facilities. This
bill would require that the department collect information from its
Office of Special Investigations regarding the efficacy of its investi-
gations and accordingly issue reports to relevant organizations. Such
reporting requirements would hold the office accountable and ensure that
it is performing its essential duties.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New bill.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
None.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
8573
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
May 21, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. DILAN -- read once and referred to the Committee
on Correction
AN ACT to amend the correction law, in relation to reports on data
collected from the office of special investigations
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Section 112 of the correction law is amended by adding a
2 new subdivision 7 to read as follows:
3 7. (a) The commissioner shall collect data from the office of special
4 investigations established by the department and report quarterly to the
5 speaker of the assembly, the temporary president of the senate, and the
6 governor regarding complaints received the previous quarter by the
7 office. For the report period, such data and report shall include, but
8 not be limited to:
9 (i) the number of confirmed and unconfirmed complaints received by the
10 office of special investigations categorized by facility the complaint
11 originated from, complaint type or allegation, subject of the complaint
12 (i.e. incarcerated individual, security staff, civilian staff, or
13 other), and how the complaint was received by the office;
14 (ii) the total number of complaints: assigned for an investigation by
15 the office of special investigations; assigned to each division or unit
16 within the office of special investigations; referred to the appropriate
17 central office division head; referred to a facility superintendent or
18 community supervision bureau chief for investigation; referred to a
19 facility superintendent or community supervision bureau chief for other
20 appropriate action; and referred to a state, local, or federal agency
21 with jurisdiction. Such data shall include the facility the complaint
22 originated from and the complaint type or allegation;
23 (iii) the total number of investigations closed by each office of
24 special investigations unit or division within the reporting time peri-
25 od;
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD13047-01-5
A. 8573 2
1 (iv) the total number of referrals for criminal prosecution. Such data
2 shall include the facility the complaint originated from, the complaint
3 type or allegation, and the subject of the complaint (i.e. incarcerated
4 individual, security staff, civilian staff, or other);
5 (v) the total number of referrals to the department's bureau of labor
6 relations for consideration of employee disciplinary charges including
7 which facility the referral originated from; and
8 (vi) office of special investigations staffing data including the
9 total number of staff, position type, and number of open positions.
10 (b) The commissioner shall report annually the average length of time
11 to close an investigation by the office of special investigation by
12 division for each correctional facility and any recommendations made by
13 the office of special investigations to the relevant departmental
14 program areas for consideration of a revision to a policy or procedure.
15 Such report shall categorize such recommendations by facility, the
16 nature of the recommendation, and any action taken in response to the
17 recommendation.
18 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
