What's happening
This bill requires prison commissary items to be sold at local market rates and restricts use of inmate commissary funds to purchases only.
Why it matters
Caps commissary prices at local market rates. , preventing prisons from charging incarcerated people more than what items cost outside, which may significantly reduce financial burdens on inmates and their families.
Restricts use of inmate commissary accounts solely to purchases. , stopping the practice of withdrawing money for disciplinary fines, restitution, or other penalties—potentially protecting inmates from having funds seized by the facility.
Could improve fairness and transparency in prison financial practices. , addressing longstanding criticisms about exploitation and lack of oversight related to commissary operations and inmate funds.
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Who cares
Incarcerated people in state correctional institutions
The bill would require commissary prices to reflect regional market rates and protect their commissary funds from deductions for penalties or any purpose other than commissary purchases.
State corrections officials and facility heads
They would have to ensure commissary pricing matches regional market rates and stop any nonpurchase withdrawals from inmates’ commissary accounts.
Families and others depositing money into inmates’ commissary accounts
The bill would require that deposited money be used only by the inmate for commissary purchases.
Headline styles
Fair Prices for Prison Stores
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
3 Co-sponsors
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.
Fair Prices for Prison Canteens
In Assembly Committee · Correction · Sponsor Nathalia Fernandez
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
3473
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
February 7, 2019
Introduced by Sens. RAMOS, BAILEY, MYRIE -- 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 commissaries or canteens in correctional institutions
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 26 of the correction law, as amended by chapter 487 of the laws of 1994, is amended to read as follows:
§ 26. [Establishment of commissaries] Commissaries or canteens in correctional institutions. 1. The commissioner may authorize the head of any institution in the department to establish a commissary or a canteen in such institution for the use and benefit of inmates. Items sold at the commissary or canteen shall be sold at the current market rate for such items, as based upon the cost of similar items for sale in the same region as the correctional facility. The moneys received by the head of the institution as profits from the sales of the commissary or canteen shall be deposited in a special fund to be known as the commissary or canteen fund and such funds shall be used for the general purposes of the institution subject to the provisions of section fifty-three of the state finance law.
2. Money placed into the commissary or canteen account or fund of an inmate shall only be used by the inmate for purchases at such commissary or canteen. No funds shall be removed from an inmate's commissary or canteen account or fund for a violation, as a penalty, or for any reason other than a purchase at such commissary or canteen.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD09700-01-9
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 commissaries or canteens in correctional institutions
Summary of provisions
Section 1: Section 26 of the correction law, as amended by chapter 487 of the laws of 1994, is amended to read as follows: Items sold at the commissary or canteens shall be sold at the current market rate such items, as based upon the cost of similar items for sale in the same region as the correctional facility.
Section 2: The correction law is amended by adding a new section: Money placed into the commissary or canteen account or fund of an inmate shall only be used by the inmate for purchases at such commissary or canteen. No funds shall be removed from an inmate's commissary or canteen account or fund for a violation, as a penalty, or for any reason other than a purchase at such commissary or canteen.
Section 3: Sets effective date.
Justification
This legislation would guarantee that items sold at the commissary or canteen are not sold higher than the market rate for that region, and that the funds are reserved for the purchasing of goods, not used to fund a violation or penalty.
Commissaries or canteens have too often served as a method in which correctional facilities financially exploit prisoners and their fami- lies. As we work to increase the minimum wage for prisoners, we need to make sure that correctional facilities do not have the opportunity to gouge the prices of goods and digital services, purchased through the commissary or canteens.
This bill is a first step to create financial equity for prisoners and their families, by not allowing correctional facilities to sell items higher than the market rate in the same region as the facility. In addi- tion, the funds in the commissary or canteen should only be used to purchase goods, and not as a form of penalty for any violation. There are approximately 54,700 prisoners, predominantly people of color in the State of New York and it is our duty to ensure that they are being treated with fairness.
Legislative history
This is a new bill.
Fiscal implications
Minimal to the state.
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.