This bill would require the Department of Correction to communicate to every inmate their rights as inmates in plain and simple language, both in writing and orally.
- Enacted
History
Affirmative
- Maria Del Carmen Arroyo
- Inez D. Barron
- James G. Van Bramer
- Fernando Cabrera
- Margaret S. Chin
- Costa G. Constantinides
- Robert E. Cornegy, Jr.
- Elizabeth S. Crowley
- Laurie A. Cumbo
- Chaim M. Deutsch
- Daniel Dromm
- Rafael L. Espinal, Jr.
- Mathieu Eugene
- Julissa Ferreras-Copeland
- Daniel R. Garodnick
- Vincent J. Gentile
- Vanessa L. Gibson
- David G. Greenfield
- Corey D. Johnson
- Ben Kallos
- Andy L. King
- Peter A. Koo
- Karen Koslowitz
- Rory I. Lancman
- Brad S. Lander
- Stephen T. Levin
- Mark Levine
- Alan N. Maisel
- Melissa Mark-Viverito
- Steven Matteo
- Darlene Mealy
- Carlos Menchaca
- Rosie Mendez
- I. Daneek Miller
- Antonio Reynoso
- Donovan J. Richards
- Ydanis A. Rodriguez
- Deborah L. Rose
- Helen K. Rosenthal
- Ritchie J. Torres
- Mark Treyger
- Eric A. Ulrich
- James Vacca
- Paul A. Vallone
- Ruben Wills
Int. No. 784-A
By Council Members Crowley, Dromm, Chin, Cumbo, Espinal, Lander, Mendez, Menchaca, Rosenthal, Williams, Barron, Garodnick, Eugene, Kallos and Wills
A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to the creation of an inmate bill of rights.
Be it enacted by the Council as follows:
Section 1. Chapter 1 of title 9 of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended by adding a new section 9-139 to read as follows:
§ 9-139 Inmate bill of rights. a. The department shall inform every inmate upon admission to the custody of the department, in writing, using plain and simple language, of their rights under department policy, which shall be consistent with federal, state, and local laws, and board of correction minimum standards, on the following topics: non-discriminatory treatment, personal hygiene, recreation, religion, attorney visits, access to legal reference materials, visitation, telephone calls and other correspondence, media access, due process in any disciplinary proceedings, health services, safety from violence, and the grievance system.
b. The department shall inform every inmate upon admission to the custody of the department, in writing, using plain and simple language, of their responsibilities under the department’s rules governing inmate conduct.
c. The department shall inform every inmate upon admission to the custody of the department, in writing, using plain and simple language, of available services relating to education, vocational development, drug and alcohol treatment and counseling, and mental health treatment and counseling services.
d. The department shall publish on its website any documents created pursuant to this section. Such documents shall be available in English and Spanish.
e. Within 24 hours of admission to the custody of the department, the department shall provide to each inmate an oral summary of the rights and responsibilities enumerated in subdivisions a, b, and c of this section in the inmate’s preferred language, if the language is accessible through the city’s language access plan. The department shall make a good faith effort to provide an oral summary in languages that are not accessible through the city’s language access plan as soon as practicable.
f. Upon admission to the custody of the department, each inmate shall also be offered the option of being provided the Connections guidebook for formerly incarcerated people, or any similar or successor book or handbook that describes resources available to those re-entering society after being incarcerated.
§ 2. This local law takes effect 90 days after it becomes law.
BC
3992
8/5/15, 9:08 P.M.