What's happening
This bill requires that community supervision programs in New York not unreasonably interfere with an individual's work, education, or training schedule.
Why it matters
Protects economic and educational stability for people on supervision. By preventing required programs from conflicting with work, education, or training, this bill helps individuals maintain jobs or continue studies while fulfilling legal obligations, reducing the risk of job loss or interrupted education.
Reduces barriers to successful reentry. Ensuring that supervision requirements do not unreasonably disrupt daily life supports smoother reintegration and lessens the chance of recidivism linked to unemployment or lack of skills.
Limits exceptions to the rule. The only programs allowed to interfere with schedules are residential treatment programs, which are typically considered necessary for rehabilitation, placing a clear boundary on when disruptions are justified.
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Who cares
People on community supervision
The bill would bar required supervision programs from unreasonably interfering with their employment, education or vocational training schedules, except for residential treatment programs.
Department of Corrections and Community Supervision
The department would have to account for individuals’ work, school and vocational training schedules when requiring nonresidential programs as conditions of supervision.
Residential treatment providers
Required residential treatment programs would be exempt from the bill’s scheduling protection.
Headline styles
Align Supervision With Work Schedules
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
Senator · Senate District 32
History
- Committed to rules
- Advanced to third reading
- 2nd report cal.
- 1st report cal.545
- Reported and committed to finance
- Referred to crime victims, crime and correction
- Committed to rules
- Advanced to third reading
- 2nd report cal.
- 1st report cal.416
- Referred to crime victims, crime and 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.
Align Supervision With Work Schedules
In Senate Committee · Crime Victims, Crime And Correction · Sponsor Maritza Davila
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
1698
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 15, 2019
Introduced by Sen. SEPULVEDA -- 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 integrating community supervision programs into an individual's employment, educational or vocational training schedule
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision 5 of section 201 of the correction law, as added by section 32 of subpart A of part C of chapter 62 of the laws of 2011, is amended to read as follows:
5. The department shall assist inmates eligible for community supervision and [inmates] individuals who are on community supervision to secure employment, educational or vocational training, and housing. Any program the department requires a person on community supervision to take as a condition of such supervision shall not unreasonably interfere with such person's employment, educational or vocational training schedule unless such program is a residential treatment program.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD05636-01-9
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 integrating community supervision programs into an individual's employment, educational or vocational training schedule
Purpose
To permit parolees who are gainfully employed to attend required programs outside of their work hours.
Summary of provisions
Section 1 amends Correction Law § 201 (5) Section 2 provides an effec- tive date.
Justification
Persons released from prison to community supervision are often required to take substance abuse treatment and other rehabilitative programs.
People on community supervision also usually hold down jobs or enroll in school or training programs. Parolees who maintain employment are far less likely to recidivate than parolees who do not work. When a parolee is able to secure gainful employment, it is important to ensure that he or she is able to work while completing necessary programs.
This bill would require DOCCS to allow an employed parolee to take such programs during non-working hours, such as nights and weekends, rather than continuing the current practice of requiring them to miss days at work and risk being fired in order to participate in programs during the business day. Many programs offer their services on days, nights and weekends, or would do so in order to respond to the needs of their clients. Requiring parolees to quit or lose their jobs in order to attend programming violates one of the fundamental purposes of parole supervision which is to help parolees secure employment and become productive members of society. This bill provides DOCCS with flexibility but makes it clear that it must make accommodations to ensure both programs and employment are prioritized.
Fiscal implications
None.
Local fiscal implications
None.
Effective date
Immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.