What's happening
This bill requires annual reporting on substance use disorder screening and treatment for incarcerated individuals in New York correctional facilities.
Why it matters
Focuses on individualized, evidence-based treatment. The bill mandates that substance use disorder (SUD) treatment programs in correctional facilities be based on best practices and tailored to each incarcerated person’s substance use history, past treatment, mental illness, or trauma, potentially improving rehabilitation outcomes.
Promotes accountability and transparency. By requiring detailed annual reporting—including how many incarcerated individuals are screened for SUD, diagnosed, enrolled in treatment, and which substances are most problematic—the bill increases public and legislative oversight of correctional SUD programs.
Highlights barriers to treatment completion. The reporting must include reasons why individuals fail to complete SUD programs—specifically noting if disciplinary actions unrelated to treatment caused dropouts—helping to identify and address systemic obstacles to successful rehabilitation.
Supports continuity of care post-release. With the explicit aim of promoting successful transition to community-based treatment, the bill could improve reentry outcomes, reduce recidivism, and support public health by ensuring treatment doesn’t end at the prison gate.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Report Prison Drug Treatment
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
Senator · Senate District 32
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to rules
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.
Report Prison Drug Treatment
In Senate Committee · Rules · Sponsor Linda Rosenthal
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
8725
IN SENATE
July 10, 2020
Introduced by Sen. SEPULVEDA -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules
AN ACT to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation to annual reporting on substance use disorder in incarcerated individuals
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision (h) of section 19.07 of the mental hygiene law, as amended by section 118-f of subpart B of part C of chapter 62 of the laws of 2011, is amended to read as follows:
(h) The office of [alcoholism and substance abuse] addiction services and supports shall monitor programs providing care and treatment to [inmates] incarcerated individuals in correctional facilities operated by the department of corrections and community supervision who have a history of alcohol or substance [abuse] use disorder or dependence. The office shall also develop guidelines for the operation of alcohol and substance [abuse] use disorder treatment programs in such correctional facilities, based on best practices, and tailored to the nature of the individual's substance use, history of past treatment, and history of mental illness or trauma, which may include harm reduction strategies, in order to ensure that such programs sufficiently meet the needs of [inmates] incarcerated individuals with a history of alcohol or substance [abuse] use disorder or dependence and promote the successful transition to treatment in the community upon release. No later than the first day of December of each year, the office shall submit a report regarding: (1) the adequacy and effectiveness of alcohol and substance [abuse] use disorder treatment programs operated by the department of corrections and community supervision; (2) the total number of incarcerated individuals in correctional facilities that have been screened for, and determined to have, a substance use disorder; (3) information regarding which substances incarcerated individuals are most dependent upon and the available treatment for such individuals within each correctional facility; (4) the total number of individuals who participate in each of the treatment programs operated by the department of corrections and community supervision; and (5) the total number of indi-
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD06062-09-0
S. 8725 2
viduals who participated in a substance use disorder treatment program but failed to complete such program, as well as whether such failure to complete the program was a result of disciplinary action taken by the facility against the individual for instances unrelated to their participation in the treatment program. The department of corrections and community supervision shall provide the office with information needed to complete this report. Such report shall be sent to the governor, the temporary president of the senate, the speaker of the assembly, the chairman of the senate committee on crime victims, crime and correction, and the chairman of the assembly committee on correction.
§ 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 mental hygiene law, in relation to annual reporting on substance use disorder in incarcerated individuals
Purpose
This bill would require the annual reporting of data on the substances that incarcerated individuals are most commonly addicted to and what treatments are made available.
Summary of specific provisions
Section one amends the subdivision (h) of section 19.07 of the mental hygiene law.
Section two establishes the effective date.
Justification
Current New York State law requires the Office of Addiction Services and Supports to monitor substance use disorder treatment programs in state correctional facilities and file an annual report on the adequacy of such programs.
In New York State correctional facilities, at least 800 of incarcerated individuals have some type of substance use disorder, but data is not available on what the types of substances incarcerated individuals abuse. While we work to expand access to treatment within our correc- tional facilities, we must have a clear understanding of the most commonly abused substances so we can make available the most appropriate treatment options.
This legislation would require the annual report on substance use disor- der treatment programs in state correctional facilities issued by the Office of Addiction Services and Supports to include data on what substances incarcerated individuals are most commonly using, what treat- ments are available and how many individuals are receiving such treat- ment.
Legislative history
New Bill.
Fiscal implications
Undetermined.
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.