Requires a mental health medical professional to examine incarcerated individuals in solitary confinement when such incarcerated individual is in such confinement for a period in excess of twenty-four hours.
This bill requires correctional facilities to receive foster care records for incarcerated individuals who were previously in foster care. It mandates that the department obtain key details about their foster care history (including age entered and duration of care) and send a copy of these records to the facility where the person is held. This applies to all correctional facilities, including juvenile detention centers. The policy aims to provide relevant background information to correctional staff about individuals with foster care experience.
This bill modifies New York's correction law to expand temporary release eligibility for incarcerated individuals who complete judicially-ordered substance abuse treatment in state facilities. It allows these individuals to qualify for temporary release programs (like work release or community service) without requiring parole eligibility, provided they meet specific criteria. However, it explicitly excludes individuals convicted of sex offenses, violent crimes involving deadly weapons, or serious physical injury, and requires commissioner approval for certain cases. The policy change directly affects incarcerated people in New York state correctional facilities participating in substance abuse treatment programs.
This bill allows courts to order fingerprint comparisons against statewide and national databases for defendants in criminal cases. It requires courts to determine first that the fingerprints meet federal or state standards, and second that a different outcome was likely if the comparison had been done earlier (e.g., a more favorable verdict or no conviction). The law directly affects defendants seeking to challenge prior convictions based on new fingerprint evidence. It creates a specific legal pathway for courts to review such evidence without changing how fingerprints are collected during investigations. The bill focuses on post-conviction relief, not new investigations.
This bill amends New York's criminal procedure law to clarify when courts can issue orders of protection for harassment victims during criminal cases. It specifies that courts may issue temporary protection orders while a case is pending and must state reasons for issuing or denying final protection orders after sentencing. The bill sets new maximum durations for these orders based on offense type: up to 8 years for felony convictions (10 years for certain sexual assault cases), 5 years for class A misdemeanors (6 years for sexual assault), and 2 years for other offenses. These changes directly affect courts handling criminal cases, defendants convicted of harassment-related crimes, and victims seeking legal protection.
Provides incarcerated individuals with access to breast cancer screening and diagnostic testing in accordance with certain nationally recognized clinical practice guidelines.
This bill establishes a judicial diversion program for defendants under 24 charged with non-violent felonies or misdemeanors, allowing them to avoid a criminal conviction by completing a 16-month job training program. Eligibility excludes those with prior violent felony convictions, persistent offender status, or pending violent charges, though prosecutors may later permit participation. Participants must complete job training (including job opportunities and wages), attend court check-ins, and avoid criminal activity during the program. Upon successful completion, the court can dismiss the original charges or allow the defendant to withdraw a guilty plea and enter a misdemeanor plea with probation.
This bill amends New York's criminal procedure law to explicitly include arson felonies in the list of offenses where bail or pre-trial detention may be authorized. It adds "arson in the fourth degree" and "arson in the third degree" to existing provisions governing bail decisions for crimes involving harm to people or property. The law requires prosecutors to show reasonable cause that the defendant committed both the arson charge and any underlying crime, though courts may still release defendants if property harm is deemed negligible and unrelated to other criminal activity. This affects individuals charged with arson felonies who are already out on bail or awaiting arraignment for other serious offenses.
This bill amends New York's criminal procedure law to add terrorism-related money laundering crimes and felony terrorism offenses to the list of charges that automatically deny bail. It specifically affects individuals charged with money laundering supporting terrorism (across four degrees) or felony terrorism under New York Penal Law, excluding one specific terrorism crime. The key change requires courts to deny bail for these offenses, aligning them with existing bail-denial criteria for other serious crimes. The bill does not alter the definition of "terroristic threat" but expands the scope of terrorism-related offenses impacting bail eligibility.
This bill establishes a five-year pilot program for specialized "gang courts" in Orange, Nassau, and Suffolk counties, starting January 1, 2026, and ending January 1, 2031. The courts will handle criminal cases involving groups of three or more people actively engaged in criminal conduct, as defined by the bill. Funding must come from a mix of federal grants (from the U.S. Department of Justice) and state/local resources, with the chief administrator of the courts overseeing setup and procedures. Cases will be transferred to these specialized courts from regular county courts for gang-related offenses, operating under rules set by the chief administrator.
