Senate Passes Ritchie Bills to Ease Jail Overcrowding

Bills Will Cut County, Taxpayer Costs

State Senator Patty Ritchie has announced two of her bills to ease local county jail overcrowding and alleviate costs to taxpayers by requiring the state to move more quickly when picking up inmates and placing them back in state prisons were approved by the Senate Wednesday.

According to recent statistics, nearly a thousand state parole violators are in county jails for extended periods of time—all at a cost to taxpayers. 

“In Jefferson, Oswego and St. Lawrence Counties, localities are bearing the cost of detaining the state’s prisoners who have been released on parole. Not only that, but the overcrowding is causing some leaders to call for expansions, ” said Senator Ritchie.

“This legislation—which is strongly supported by the Sheriff’s departments in Central and Northern New York—will help to ease overcrowding issues and reduce the burden placed on taxpayers.”

The first measure, Senate bill 3697, would require parole violators to be transferred to a state correctional facility after 10 business days in a local correctional facility. The second, Senate bill 5423, would establish a two year pilot program in the counties of Jefferson, Oswego, and Saint Lawrence for parole violators to be transferred to a state correctional facility after 10 business days in a local correctional facility.

Both bills were delivered to the Assembly.