What's happening
This bill requires New York correctional facilities to implement programs preventing hepatitis C, STDs, and HIV among staff and incarcerated individuals.
Why it matters
Mandates comprehensive disease prevention programs. that go beyond basic education—requiring counseling, outreach, harm reduction, discharge planning, and access to prophylactic devices for both staff and incarcerated individuals, aiming for a broad and sustained impact on public health within and beyond correctional facilities.
Emphasizes stigma reduction. by integrating these programs into general, non-stigmatizing activities, encouraging participation without singling out individuals, which can foster a more supportive environment and increase program uptake.
Requires cultural and educational sensitivity. , ensuring that prevention efforts are delivered in appropriate languages, at accessible literacy levels, and with attention to the cultural and social backgrounds of the incarcerated population, likely making interventions more effective and equitable.
Establishes a peer educator certification pathway. , enabling incarcerated individuals to be trained and certified as peer educators, which can empower participants, create trusted messengers within the population, and potentially provide valuable skills for reentry.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Prevent STDs in Prisons
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
1 Co-sponsor
History
- Referred to crime victims, crime and correction
- Referred to crime victims, crime and correction
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
804
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE (Prefiled)
January 9, 2019
Introduced by Sen. MONTGOMERY -- 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 the commissioner of corrections and community supervision to develop programs in correctional facilities to prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases
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 141-a to read as follows:
§ 141-a. Sexually transmitted diseases and HIV; prevention. 1. The commissioner, together with the commissioner of health, shall develop and implement programs in every correctional facility to prevent the spread of hepatitis C, sexually transmitted diseases and human immunodeficiency virus infection, for department employees and incarcerated individuals, including education, group and individual counseling, outreach to the incarcerated population, harm reduction, discharge planning, offering testing, and availability of prophylactic devices. The program may provide for training incarcerated persons to work as peer educators in the program.
2. These programs shall be offered in such manner and at such time as to encourage attendance by all department employees and incarcerated persons. Programming as required by subdivision one of this section shall include incorporation into other content-neutral programs to ensure that attendance is not stigmatized or stigmatizing.
3. In developing programs for the prevention of hepatitis C, sexually transmitted diseases and human immunodeficiency virus infection, the commissioner shall consult with the commissioner of health to identify and select curricula that are likely to be effective in reducing trans-
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD03063-01-9
S. 804 2
mission of infectious diseases within correctional facilities and to contacts of formerly incarcerated persons upon their release.
4. The programs required by subdivision one of this section should include peer education and use of non-department personnel including community providers, and shall be in the language of the targeted population, shall take into account the literacy level of the targeted population, and shall be culturally sensitive to the social and cultural needs of the targeted population.
5. In order to develop a cohort of skilled trainers, the commissioner, together with the commissioner of health, shall develop and implement a peer educator training program. Completion of a peer educator training program under this section shall permit a participant to receive a peer education certification.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
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 the commissioner of corrections and community supervision to develop programs in correctional facilities to prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases
Purpose
To prevent the spread of Hepatitis C, sexually transmitted diseases and HIV through education, counseling and other prevention efforts.
Summary of provisions
Directs the Commissioner of the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision and the Commissioner of Health to develop and implement education, counseling and other prevention efforts, including the distribution of prophylactic devices, in every correctional facility to prevent the spread of Hepatitis C, sexually transmitted diseases and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. The prevention program would be available to department employees and incarcerated individuals. The program would include peer education and use of non-departmental personnel, including community-based providers. The bill also allows eligible incarcerated persons to be trained to work as peer educators in the program, and receive official certification upon completion of their training.
Justification
In New York State there are more than 85,000 people jailed in city, county, and state correctional facilities. Of the 51,500 persons incar- cerated in the 54 New York State prisons, 3,500 prisoners are estimated to be HIV positive and 7,300 infected with hepatitis C. By developing and implementing education and outreach programs and making prophylactic devices available, the Department of Corrections and Community Super- vision (DOCCS) can help stop the spread of HIV and other sexually trans- mitted diseases to other incarcerated individuals and employees.
Legislative history
2013-2014: S.3566-A - Died in Committee
Fiscal implications
This might entail minor costs for the dissemination of information, training, and prophylactic devices. However, this would be more than made up for by reduced health care costs.
Effective date
Immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.