What's happening
This bill requires state and local correctional facilities to establish inmate visitation programs that prioritize in-person visits and accommodate visitors’ needs.
Why it matters
Strengthens family and community ties for inmates. By prioritizing in-person visits and ensuring reasonable accommodation for visitors, the bill aims to help inmates maintain bonds with relatives, friends, and supporters—an important factor in successful rehabilitation and lower recidivism rates.
Emphasizes fairness and accessibility. Requirements for visiting hours that accommodate travelers and equitable policies for overcrowding mean the bill addresses common barriers faced by families, especially those coming from long distances, making the visitation process less burdensome.
Limits reliance on video visitation. The bill explicitly states that video visits can supplement but not replace in-person visits, ensuring that technology is used to enhance—not diminish—the quality of human connections for incarcerated individuals.
Respects inmate autonomy. The provision that no inmate can be visited against their will recognizes the rights and preferences of incarcerated people, preventing unwanted or potentially harmful visits.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Expand Prison Visitation Rights
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
History
- Amended on third reading 7241a
- Ordered to third reading cal.506
- Returned to assembly
- Died in senate
- Referred to rules
- Delivered to senate
- Passed assembly
- Ordered to third reading rules cal.500
- Rules report cal.500
- Reported
- Reported referred to rules
- Reported referred to ways and means
Show 2 earlier actions
- Reported referred to codes
- Referred to correction
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
7241--A Cal. No. 506
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
April 12, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. WEPRIN, SEPULVEDA, WALKER, DE LA ROSA, BLAKE, MOSLEY -- read once and referred to the Committee on Correction -ordered to a third reading, amended and ordered reprinted, retaining its place on the order of third reading
AN ACT to amend the correction law, in relation to the establishment of an inmate visitation program
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The correction law is amended by adding a new section 138-b to read as follows:
§ 138-b. Inmate visitation program. State and local correctional facilities shall provide inmate visitation programs which give inmates opportunities for personal contact with relatives, friends, clergy, volunteers and other persons to promote better institutional adjustment and better community adjustment upon release. Such program shall include, but not be limited to, (a) visiting hours that are reasonably likely to accommodate persons traveling from within the state, (b) visits of sufficient duration so that visitors and inmates will be able to maintain relationship bonds, and (c) a published overcrowding policy that is equitable with due consideration to the distance traveled by the visitor. Video visitation may supplement, but shall not take the place of, in-person visitation. No inmate is to be visited against his or her will by any person.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after it shall have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD10877-04-8
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.