What's happening
This bill creates a statewide, toll-free hotline for anonymously reporting contraband and drug activity in state correctional facilities.
Why it matters
Expands the definition of “contraband”. to explicitly include firearms, dangerous weapons, destructive devices, and controlled substances, clarifying what types of items the hotline is meant to target within correctional facilities.
Requires the Department of Corrections to create clear procedures. for implementing and operating the hotline, ensuring there is a formal, regulated process for receiving and acting on information about contraband or drug activity.
Supports continuous and anonymous reporting. , making it easier for inmates, visitors, or staff to report illegal activity at any time without fear of retaliation, which could increase detection and prevention of dangerous or illegal items entering prisons.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Create Prison Contraband Hotline
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to crime victims, crime and correction
- Referred to crime victims, crime and correction
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
159
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE (Prefiled)
January 9, 2019
Introduced by Sen. HELMING -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Crime Victims, Crime and Correction
AN ACT to amend the correction law, in relation to creating a contraband and drug information hotline
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 2 of the correction law is amended by adding a new subdivision 32 to read as follows:
32. "Contraband" means anything, which is capable of such use as may endanger the safety or security of a detention facility or any person therein which shall include, but not be limited to firearms and other dangerous weapons as defined in section 265.00 of the penal law, dangerous instruments as defined in subdivision thirteen of section 10.00 of the penal law, destructive devices as defined in 26 USC § 5845 (f) and controlled substances as defined in section 220.00 of the penal law.
§ 2. Section 112 of the correction law is amended by adding a new subdivision 5 to read as follows:
5. The commissioner shall promulgate rules and regulations to facilitate the implementation and operation of a statewide, toll-free telephone number, or hotline, to receive reports from callers providing any information related to the introduction of contraband or possession of contraband in a state correctional institution by inmates, visitors or staff members. Such hotline shall receive reports of allegations of reportable incidents twenty-four hours per day, seven days a week and shall accept anonymous calls.
§ 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD04990-01-9
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the correction law, in relation to creating a contraband and drug information hotline
Purpose or general idea of bill
To provide a resource for people to report any knowledge about drugs or weapons in our prison systems that may be of harm to correction offi- cers, inmates and visitors.
Summary of specific provisions
Sections 1: The corrections law is amended to provide a definition for contraband.
Section 2: The corrections law is amended to establish a contraband hotline.
Section 3: Provides an immediate effective date.
Justification
Contraband, whether drugs, weapons, drones, cash or any other item smug- gled into our prisons puts everyone at risk. Oftentimes, contraband leads to fights among inmates and violent attacks on correction officers and other staff. Most recently, there have been a rising number of inci- dents involving these types of attacks.
Data collected indicates that 2017 marked the most violent year inside state prisons since 2007, which is the year statistics began being recorded. Every metric tracked by DOCCS has risen above the previous year's numbers. This demonstrates the critical need for more to be done to protect those both inside and outside our correctional facilities.
Additionally, with the opioid crisis on the rise, drug contraband specifically, can inhibit recovery of those who are incarcerated with addiction problems. With a constant movement of drugs into and out of the prison system, access is readily available.
While the New York State Department of Corrections has attempted to control the amount of contraband entering the State's prisons, we still regularly hear about contraband being introduced, made, obtained and possessed. By providing one centralized phone number that allows for anonymous calls, people can report instances of contraband happening inside our prisons.
Similarly, in Pennsylvania, after recent staff exposure to unknown substances, the Governor and the Department of Corrections began imple- menting several new protocols, including a drug information hotline. In an effort to keep New York State safe and reverse current trends, this legislation is modeled after Pennsylvania's new protocols.
Prior legislative history
New bill.
Fiscal implications
To be determined.
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.