What's happening
This bill requires general confinement correctional facilities in New York to offer visitation seven days a week.
Why it matters
Expanding visitation to seven days a week could help maintain and strengthen family and community ties for incarcerated individuals. , which research shows can lower recidivism rates and improve post-release outcomes.
Daily visitation may reduce stress and behavioral issues within correctional facilities. , as regular contact with loved ones is linked to better mental health and emotional stability among inmates.
The bill could present logistical and staffing challenges for correctional facilities. , possibly requiring increased resources to accommodate extended visiting hours and ensure security.
Making visitation more accessible addresses concerns about equity. , especially for families who may have limited work schedules or travel long distances to visit loved ones in prison, thus reducing barriers to maintaining relationships.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Allow Daily Prison Visits
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
Senator · Senate District 32
History
- Referred to crime victims, crime and correction
- 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.
Allow Daily Prison Visits
In Assembly Committee · Ways And Means · Sponsor David Weprin
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
2689
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 28, 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 authorizing daily visitation at general confinement correctional facilities
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. Daily visitation. Visitation shall be offered seven days a week at all general confinement correctional facilities.
§ 2. This act shall take effect one year after it shall have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD08583-01-9
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 authorizing daily visitation at general confinement correctional facilities
Purpose
To authorize daily visitation at all general confinement correctional facilities
Summary of provisions
Section 1 adds a new section 138-b to the correction law authorizing daily visitation in general confinement correctional facilities.
Section 2 provides an effective date.
Justification
Research has shown that inmates who receive visits from family, friends and volunteers are significantly less likely to recidivate than inmates who do not receive visits. DOCCS has long allowed visitation in its facilities, although nothing in law requires them to do so. The SFY 2017-2018 Executive budget proposed to reduce visitation in maximum security prisons from seven days a week to three days a week. Although ultimately withdrawn, this proposal shone an unintended light on the importance of visitation.
This bill codifies visitation rights for incarcerated individuals at all general confinement correctional facilities, including medium security facilities where visitation is now only offered on weekends. The fiscal impact of this bill is limited to its impact on medium security facili- ties since maximum security facilities still retain daily visitation. The money spent would be an investment in the laudable correctional goals of institutional safety, inmate rehabilitation and public safety.
Legislative history
Introduced into the Assembly 2018, first introduced in the Senate 2019.
Fiscal implications
To be determined.
Effective date
This act shall take effect one year after it shall have become law.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.