What's happening
This bill requires New York correctional facilities to provide inmate visitation programs with in-person contact and reasonable accommodations.
Why it matters
Promotes Family and Community Ties. By mandating in-person visitation with relatives, friends, clergy, and volunteers, the bill aims to help incarcerated individuals maintain crucial personal relationships, which research shows can reduce recidivism and support successful reentry into society.
Sets Standards for Fair Access. The bill requires visiting hours that accommodate those traveling from within New York State, ensures visits are long enough to maintain relationship bonds, and mandates a transparent, fair policy for handling overcrowded visiting rooms—potentially reducing arbitrary or burdensome restrictions.
Limits Video-Only Visitation. While allowing for video visitation as a supplement, the bill explicitly prohibits it from replacing in-person visits, addressing concerns that facilities might otherwise restrict physical contact for convenience or cost-saving reasons.
Protects Inmate Autonomy. The provision that no inmate can be forced to receive a visitor respects the personal boundaries and consent of incarcerated individuals, balancing access with individual rights.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Expand Prison Visitation Rights
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
15 Co-sponsors
1 Multi-sponsor
History
- Ordered to third reading cal.109
- Substituted by S2698
- Advanced to third reading cal.393
- Reported
- Reported referred to ways and means
- Reported referred to codes
- Referred to correction
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Expand Prison Visitation Rights
In Senate Committee · Crime Victims, Crime And Correction · Sponsor Luis R. Sepúlveda
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
2483
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 22, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. WEPRIN, WALKER, DE LA ROSA, BLAKE, MOSLEY, BARRON -- read once and referred to the Committee on Correction
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.
LBD08552-01-9
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.