Requires that websites providing inmate information be searchable by the inmate's name, former name or alias

BILL NUMBER:S1745

Title of bill

An act to amend the correction law, in relation to requiring that websites providing inmate information be searchable by the inmate's name, former name or alias

Purpose

To allow the public to be able to search the Department of Corrections inmate information database by the inmate's current legal name, their former legal name, or any known alias.

Summary of provisions

Section 1. Amends section 9 of the correction law to provide that any website that allows the public to search for inmate information will be programmed in such a way to allow for the public to search by the inmate's current name, any former legal name, or any other known alias of the inmate.

Section 2. Effective date.

Justification

When an inmate legally changes their name, the general public, and more specifically victims of the inmate's crime, may not be made aware of this name change. As a result, the public, and more importantly the victim, will no longer be able to search for the inmate by the inmate's former name. This causes significant problems for victims trying to access information on the inmate. In order to make searching easier for victims, the website that allows the public to search for inmate information should be searchable by the inmate's current name and any former name. This way, if a victim is unaware that an inmate has changed his or her name, the victim will still be able to search for the inmate by his or her former name.

Legislative history

2013-14: S.1209 - Finance Committee 2012: S.7303 - Crime Victims, Crime and Correction Committee

Fiscal implications

To be determined.

Effective date

This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have become a law.