Establishes visiting policies for incarcerated people, to provide incarcerated people opportunities for personal contact with relatives, friends, clergy, volunteers and other persons to promote better institutional adjustment and better community adjustment upon release.
Relates to the health, safety and human rights of incarcerated pregnant individuals, incarcerated birthing parents and their children; requires the commissioner of corrections and community supervision to establish rules and regulations relating to conditions in institutions and correctional facilities and the treatment and care of birthing parents in such institutions and facilities.
Establishes visiting policies for incarcerated people, to provide incarcerated people opportunities for personal contact with relatives, friends, clergy, volunteers and other persons to promote better institutional adjustment and better community adjustment upon release.
Limits the suspension or revocation of an individual's driver's license when an individual takes a certain plea involving participation in certain treatment court programs or the court allowed the individual to withdraw their previously entered plea of guilty, and plead guilty to a lesser charge or the department revoked or suspended the individual's driver's license upon a plea of guilty and at least six months have elapsed since such initial plea.
Requires screening incarcerated individuals for eligibility for public benefits prior to release and assistance in applying for such programs; requires officials to seek waivers from the USDA for eligibility for such program.
Directs the commissioner of corrections and community supervision, in consultation with the commissioner of health and the commissioner of mental health, to develop a uniform electronic medical records system to be utilized by all correctional facilities in the state.
This bill (S 3974) amends New York State correction law to ensure incarcerated individuals do not lose earned time allowances if they fail to complete assigned work or treatment programs due to circumstances beyond their control (e.g., medical issues or facility disruptions). It specifically revises sections of the correction law to clarify that time credits - earned through good behavior, program participation, or educational/vocational achievements - must not be withheld for such unavoidable circumstances. The policy directly affects incarcerated people in state facilities who qualify for time reductions under existing programs. The change aligns with current provisions but explicitly prevents punitive withholding of time allowances for factors outside an individual’s control.
Establishes an assumption of the inadmissibility of evidence of a defendant's creative or artistic expression against such defendant in a criminal proceeding; requires the proffering party to affirmatively prove that the evidence is admissible by clear and convincing evidence.
This bill (S 329) changes criminal procedure rules to allow defendants to appeal a judge's decision denying a motion to suppress evidence - even if they later enter a guilty plea. It directly affects criminal defendants who want to challenge evidence rulings that may involve issues of public concern. The key provision amends the law to make such denial orders "reviewable upon appeal" from the final conviction, removing a previous barrier that prevented appeals after a guilty plea. This provides a clearer path for defendants to seek appellate review of critical evidence rulings without being barred by their own plea. The change applies to all criminal cases where evidence suppression is contested.
Expands the health department's review of correctional health services by including a biennial study of health care staffing at facilities operated by the department of corrections and community supervision.
