What's happening
This bill requires a comprehensive study of the links between inmates' prior involvement with child welfare or juvenile systems and their incarceration.
Why it matters
Focuses on Systemic Connections. By mandating a detailed study of inmates’ past experiences with child welfare and juvenile systems, the bill seeks to uncover systemic patterns or failures that may contribute to later incarceration—insight that could inform reforms in both systems.
Demographic Breakdown. The required data collection on placement type, duration, age, ethnicity, and gender will help identify whether certain groups are disproportionately affected, potentially revealing racial, gender, or age-based disparities and informing targeted policy interventions.
Scientific and Ethical Standards. The study must use scientifically valid sampling (at least 10% of facilities) and ensure inmates’ anonymity and informed consent, promoting ethical research practices and increasing the reliability and credibility of findings.
Accountability and Policy Impact. By requiring a public report with findings and recommendations to top state leaders, the bill sets the stage for evidence-driven policy changes to reduce the pipeline from child welfare involvement to incarceration.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Study Prison-Child Welfare Links
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
History
- Referred to correction
- Referred to correction
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
2205
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 22, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. RICHARDSON, SIMON, HYNDMAN, BICHOTTE -- read once and referred to the Committee on Correction
AN ACT to amend the correction law, in relation to commencing a study on the relationship between the corrections system and the child welfare system
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 30 to read as follows:
§ 30. Inmate study. 1. The commissioner shall conduct a comprehensive study on inmates' prior involvement with child welfare and juvenile systems, including but not limited to:
(a) previous placement in out-of-home care, specifying type of placement: foster care, kinship foster care, secure detention facilities, non-secure detention facilities, group homes or other authorized agencies or facilities operated or licensed by the office of children and family services;
(b) the approximate length of such period of placement;
(c) the age of the inmate during such period of placement;
(d) the ethnic background of the inmate; and
(e) the inmate's gender.
2. As part of the study the commissioner shall conduct surveys on current inmates in state, county, and municipal correctional facilities. The survey shall be based on a random sample or other scientifically appropriate sample of not less than ten percent of all state, county, and municipal correctional facilities.
3. The commissioner shall ensure the confidentiality of each survey participant by using self-administered questionnaires and other similar survey methods, which will ensure the respondent's anonymity.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD04442-01-9
A. 2205 2
4. An inmate shall be deemed to have given his or her informed consent only if he or she is informed in writing of the potential risks and benefits of the study.
5. The commissioner shall make a written report on the relationship between the corrections system and the child welfare system to the governor, temporary president of the senate and speaker of the assembly of its findings, conclusions and recommendations on or before June thirtieth of the year next succeeding the year in which this subdivision shall take effect.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have become a law.
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.