This bill creates a new Office of Reentry Services within New York's Division of Criminal Justice Services to help people leaving prison reintegrate into communities. The office must screen incarcerated individuals within seven days of admission to assess medical, educational, and job readiness needs, and provide tailored reentry planning meetings at key points (upon entry, as requested, and six months before release). It requires the office to connect individuals with housing, employment, job training, healthcare, and public benefits programs during incarceration and for up to three years after release, including arranging transportation to their residence on release day. The bill also mandates a public directory of reentry support services and ensures funding for the office cannot be reduced through budget reallocations.
Relates to public health emergency allowances against sentences for certain incarcerated individuals; allows up to twelve months of public health emergency allowances to be given to incarcerated individuals during a public health crisis.
Requires the use of risk and needs assessments in parole decisions; provides a process permitting incarcerated individuals to correct verifiable factual mistakes or errors in their risk and needs assessments or other non-confidential documents given the board prior to their appearances.
Moves from the Office of Court Administration (OCA) to the Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) responsibility for certifying, establishing and implementing standards for pretrial services agencies of the state.
This bill amends New York's correction law to standardize how courts assess sex offenders' risk levels and determine community notification requirements. It requires courts to use specific risk assessment instruments to classify offenders into Level 1 (low risk), Level 2 (moderate risk), or Level 3 (high risk) notification categories, and to decide if they qualify as sexual predators, sexually violent offenders, or predicate sex offenders. The law mandates written notice to offenders and prosecutors before hearings, allows offenders to present evidence and request appointed counsel, and prohibits relitigating facts established in prior trials. These changes directly affect sex offenders on probation or discharged after court proceedings, impacting how long they must register and what public information is disclosed about them.
Directs DOCCS, in collaboration with OTDA, OMH and OASAS, to establish a 5-year reintegration pilot program for individuals being released from correctional facilities to provide supports and services to prepare for release, assist with reintegration into the community, and reduce recidivism.
This bill amends New York's correction law to adjust eligibility for prison work release programs. It expands eligibility to include incarcerated individuals within two years of parole eligibility (previously limited to 18 months for some), while maintaining exclusions for those convicted of specific violent crimes, sex offenses, or certain drug offenses. Key provisions require commissioner approval for participation in work release for individuals convicted of offenses involving deadly weapons, serious physical injury, or forcible compulsion, and explicitly bars participation for those sentenced for aggravated murder, rape, or other serious sexual offenses. The changes directly affect incarcerated individuals in New York state prisons seeking work release opportunities, with eligibility determined by offense type and time served.
Requires the department of corrections and community supervision to create a family reunion program to provide eligible incarcerated individuals and their families the opportunity to meet for an extended period of time in a residential setting.
S 5078 requires the State Board of Parole to include in its annual report the specific release voting rate for each individual parole commissioner when reviewing applicants for community supervision or deportation. This mandates tracking and reporting how often each commissioner votes to release people appearing before the board, broken down by demographic categories like age, gender, race, and ethnicity. The bill directly affects parole commissioners (who make release decisions) and the State Board of Parole (which compiles the report). It adds this transparency measure to existing reporting requirements without changing parole eligibility or procedures.
