What's happening
This bill creates a pilot program requiring certain correction officers at a maximum security facility to wear body cameras while on duty.
Why it matters
Aims to increase transparency and accountability. by requiring body cameras to record all interactions between correction officers and inmates, potentially providing objective evidence during incidents or investigations.
Seeks to enhance safety. in maximum security facilities by evaluating whether body cameras reduce assaultive behaviors, serious injuries, or deaths among both staff and inmates.
Mandates protections for personal privacy. , ensuring that body cameras are not used for general surveillance of staff or inmates and that rules are created to safeguard recorded data.
Will inform future policy. through a required report assessing the pilot’s effectiveness and recommendations, which could influence broader adoption or changes to correctional practices statewide.
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Who cares
Correction officers at the pilot facility
At least 50 officers on a single shift supervising general population inmates at a maximum-security facility would have to wear cameras recording audio and video of all their interactions with inmates in their care.
Inmates at the pilot facility
Their interactions with participating officers would be recorded, with rules required to protect personal privacy and a ban on using the devices for surveillance.
Department of Corrections and Community Supervision
The department would have to implement the pilot, retain catalogued recordings for at least six months and report on the cameras’ effectiveness and impact on safety.
Correctional facility employees
The required evaluation would examine safety outcomes for personnel, and the bill would prohibit using the cameras to conduct surveillance on employees.
Headline styles
Body Cameras for Prison Guards
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
19 Co-sponsors
3 Multi-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
4790
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 5, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. BLAKE, BENEDETTO, COOK, DAVILA, DICKENS, GOTT- FRIED, JEAN-PIERRE, JOYNER, MOSLEY, O'DONNELL, PEOPLES-STOKES, RIVERA, SEAWRIGHT, STECK -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. CROUCH, LIFTON, TITUS -- read once and referred to the Committee on Correction
AN ACT to amend the correction law, in relation to establishing a pilot program for the use of body-worn cameras on certain correction officers
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 135 to read as follows:
§ 135. Body camera for correction officers pilot program. 1. The commissioner shall, after consultation with the chairman of the state commission of corrections, establish a pilot program providing for the use of a body-worn personal video recording device on certain correction officers assigned to the supervision of general population inmates at a maximum security facility. No fewer than fifty correction officers in a single shift shall be selected to participate in this pilot program. Each officer chosen shall wear a personal video recording device affixed to his or her uniform while on duty in the facility chosen for such pilot program. The personal video recording device shall record all the interactions of a correction officer and inmates under his or her care, custody and control. The recording shall include both audio and video.
2. All such equipment shall be installed on or before six months after the effective date of the chapter of laws of two thousand nineteen that added this section. The commissioner shall promulgate all rules and regulations necessary to implement the provisions of this section. Such rules and regulations shall require that all video recordings be catalogued and maintained as a record by the department for not less than six months and shall establish minimum standards for the personal video recording devices, and recording equipment to be used and furthermore
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD08781-01-9
A. 4790 2
shall provide for the protection of personal privacy for those persons whose actions may be recorded. No personal video recording devices may be used as a means to conduct surveillance upon any inmate, officer or employee of the department.
3. The commissioner shall issue a report within six months of the completion of the pilot program detailing the use of and evaluating the effectiveness of personal video recording devices including what impact, if any, the use of body-worn personal cameras has on assaultive behaviors, serious injury, death, and other indicators of increased physical safety of inmates, officers and personnel, and which shall also provide relevant recommendations.
§ 2. This act shall take effect six months 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.