S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
1309
2009-2010 Regular Sessions
I N S E N A T E
January 28, 2009
___________
Introduced by Sen. KRUGER -- 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 eligible inmates for
temporary release programs
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Subdivision 2 of section 851 of the correction law, as
amended by chapter 60 of the laws of 1994, is amended to read as
follows:
2. "Eligible inmate" means a person confined in an institution who is
eligible for release on parole or who will become eligible for release
on parole or conditional release within two years. Provided, however,
that a person under sentence for an offense defined in paragraphs [a]
(A) and [b] (B) of subdivision one of section 70.02 of the penal law,
where such offense involved the use or threatened use of a deadly weapon
or dangerous instrument shall not be eligible to participate in a work
release program until he or she is eligible for release on parole or who
will be eligible for release on parole or conditional release within
eighteen months. In the case of a person serving an indeterminate
sentence of imprisonment imposed pursuant to the penal law in effect
after September one, nineteen hundred sixty-seven, for the purposes of
this article parole eligibility shall be upon the expiration of the
minimum period of imprisonment fixed by the court or where the court has
not fixed any period, after service of the minimum period fixed by the
state board of parole. If an inmate is denied release on parole, such
inmate shall not be deemed an eligible inmate until he OR SHE is within
two years of his or her next scheduled appearance before the state
parole board. In any case where an inmate is denied release on parole
while participating in a temporary release program, the department shall
review the status of the inmate to determine if continued placement in
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07318-01-9
S. 1309 2
the program is appropriate. No person convicted of any escape or
absconding offense defined in article two hundred five OR BAIL JUMPING
AS DEFINED IN SECTION 215.55, 215.56 OR 215.57 of the penal law shall be
eligible for temporary release. Further, no person under sentence for
any homicide offense defined in article one hundred twenty-five of the
penal law or of any sex offense defined in article one hundred thirty of
the penal law or of section 255.25 of the penal law shall be eligible to
participate in a work release program as defined in subdivision three of
this section. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no person who is an other-
wise eligible inmate who is under sentence for a crime involving: (a)
infliction of serious physical injury upon another as defined in the
penal law or (b) any other offense involving the use or threatened use
of a deadly weapon may participate in a temporary release program with-
out the written approval of the commissioner. The commissioner shall
promulgate regulations giving direction to the temporary release commit-
tee at each institution in order to aid such committees in carrying out
this mandate.
S 2. This act shall take effect immediately, provided, however, that
the amendments to subdivision 2 of section 851 of the correction law
made by section one of this act shall not affect the expiration of such
subdivision and shall be deemed to expire therewith.