S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
6481
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
I N A S S E M B L Y
April 11, 2023
___________
Introduced by M. of A. WEPRIN, AUBRY, STECK -- read once and referred to
the Committee on Correction
AN ACT to amend the correction law, in relation to expanding prison work
release program eligibility and participation
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 section 228 of chapter 322 of the laws of 2021, is amended to
read as follows:
2. "Eligible incarcerated individual" 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) and (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 partic-
ipate 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. Provided, further, however, that a
person under a determinate sentence as a second felony drug offender for
a class B felony offense defined in article two hundred twenty of the
penal law, who was sentenced pursuant to section 70.70 of such law,
shall not be eligible to participate in a temporary release program
until the time served under imprisonment for his or her determinate
sentence, including any jail time credited pursuant to the provisions of
article seventy of the penal law, shall be at least 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, nine-
teen hundred sixty-seven, for the purposes of this article parole eligi-
bility shall be upon the expiration of the minimum period of imprison-
ment fixed by the court or where the court has not fixed any period,
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00643-01-3
A. 6481 2
after service of the minimum period fixed by the state board of parole.
If an incarcerated individual is denied release on parole, such incar-
cerated individual shall not be deemed an eligible incarcerated individ-
ual 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 incarcer-
ated individual is denied release on parole while participating in a
temporary release program, the department shall review the status of the
incarcerated individual to determine if continued placement in the
program is appropriate. No person convicted of any escape or absconding
offense defined in article two hundred five of the penal law shall be
eligible for temporary release. [Further, no person under sentence for
aggravated harassment of an employee by an incarcerated individual as
defined in section 240.32 of the penal law for, any homicide offense
defined in article one hundred twenty-five of the penal law, for any sex
offense defined in article one hundred thirty of the penal law, or for
an offense defined in section 255.25, 255.26 or 255.27 of the penal law
shall be eligible to participate in a work release program as defined in
subdivision three of this section. Nor shall any person under sentence
for any sex offense defined in article one hundred thirty of the penal
law be eligible to participate in a community services program as
defined in subdivision five of this section. Notwithstanding the forego-
ing, no person who is an otherwise eligible incarcerated individual who
is under sentence for a crime involving: (a) infliction of serious phys-
ical 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 without the written approval
of the commissioner.] The commissioner shall promulgate regulations
giving direction to the temporary release committee at each institution
in order to aid such committees in carrying out this mandate.
[The governor, by executive order, may exclude or limit the partic-
ipation of any class of otherwise eligible incarcerated individuals from
participation in a temporary release program. Nothing in this paragraph
shall be construed to affect either the validity of any executive order
previously issued limiting the participation of otherwise eligible
incarcerated individuals in such program or the authority of the commis-
sioner to impose appropriate regulations limiting such participation.]
§ 2. Subdivision 2 of section 851 of the correction law, as amended by
section 228-b of chapter 322 of the laws of 2021, is amended to read as
follows:
2. "Eligible incarcerated individual" 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, that a person under a determinate sentence as a second felony
drug offender for a class B felony offense defined in article two
hundred twenty of the penal law, who was sentenced pursuant to section
70.70 of such law, shall not be eligible to participate in a temporary
release program until the time served under imprisonment for his or her
determinate sentence, including any jail time credited pursuant to the
provisions of article seventy of the penal law, shall be at least eigh-
teen 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 incarcerated individual is denied release on
A. 6481 3
parole, such incarcerated individual shall not be deemed an eligible
incarcerated individual 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 incarcerated individual is denied release on parole while
participating in a temporary release program, the department shall
review the status of the incarcerated individual to determine if contin-
ued placement in the program is appropriate. No person convicted of any
escape or absconding offense defined in article two hundred five of the
penal law shall be eligible for temporary release. [Nor shall any person
under sentence for any sex offense defined in article one hundred thirty
of the penal law be eligible to participate in a community services
program as defined in subdivision five of this section. Notwithstanding
the foregoing, no person who is an otherwise eligible incarcerated indi-
vidual who is under sentence for a crime involving: (a) infliction of
serious physical injury upon another as defined in the penal law, (b) a
sex offense involving forcible compulsion, or (c) any other offense
involving the use or threatened use of a deadly weapon may participate
in a temporary release program without the written approval of the
commissioner.] AN INCARCERATED INDIVIDUAL SHALL NOT BE ELIGIBLE FOR WORK
RELEASE IF HE OR SHE IS SUBJECT TO A SENTENCE IMPOSED FOR AGGRAVATED
MURDER AS DEFINED IN SECTION 125.26 OF THE PENAL LAW, MURDER IN THE
FIRST DEGREE AS DEFINED IN SECTION 125.27 OF THE PENAL LAW, RAPE IN THE
THIRD DEGREE AS DEFINED IN SECTION 130.25 OF THE PENAL LAW, RAPE IN THE
SECOND DEGREE AS DEFINED IN SECTION 130.30 OF THE PENAL LAW, RAPE IN THE
FIRST DEGREE AS DEFINED IN SECTION 130.35 OF THE PENAL LAW, CRIMINAL
SEXUAL ACT IN THE SECOND DEGREE AS DEFINED IN SECTION 130.45 OF THE
PENAL LAW, CRIMINAL SEXUAL ACT IN THE FIRST DEGREE AS DEFINED IN SECTION
130.50 OF THE PENAL LAW, PERSISTENT SEXUAL ABUSE AS DEFINED IN SECTION
130.53 OF THE PENAL LAW, SEXUAL ABUSE IN THE FIRST DEGREE AS DEFINED IN
SECTION 130.65 OF THE PENAL LAW, AGGRAVATED SEXUAL ABUSE IN THE THIRD
DEGREE AS DEFINED IN SECTION 130.66 OF THE PENAL LAW, AGGRAVATED SEXUAL
ABUSE IN THE SECOND DEGREE AS DEFINED IN SECTION 130.67 OF THE PENAL
LAW, AGGRAVATED SEXUAL ABUSE IN THE FIRST DEGREE AS DEFINED IN SECTION
130.70 OF THE PENAL LAW, COURSE OF SEXUAL CONDUCT AGAINST A CHILD IN THE
FIRST DEGREE AS DEFINED IN SECTION 130.75 OF THE PENAL LAW, COURSE OF
SEXUAL CONDUCT AGAINST A CHILD IN THE SECOND DEGREE AS DEFINED IN
SECTION 130.80 OF THE PENAL LAW, PREDATORY SEXUAL ASSAULT AS DEFINED IN
SECTION 130.95 OF THE PENAL LAW, PREDATORY SEXUAL ASSAULT AGAINST A
CHILD AS DEFINED IN SECTION 130.96 OF THE PENAL LAW, PROMOTING PROSTITU-
TION IN THE SECOND DEGREE AS DEFINED IN SECTION 230.30 OF THE PENAL LAW,
PROMOTING PROSTITUTION IN THE FIRST DEGREE AS DEFINED IN SECTION 230.32
OF THE PENAL LAW, COMPELLING PROSTITUTION AS DEFINED IN SECTION 230.33
OF THE PENAL LAW, SEX TRAFFICKING AS DEFINED IN SECTION 230.34 OF THE
PENAL LAW, INCEST IN THE FIRST OR SECOND DEGREE AS DEFINED IN ARTICLE
TWO HUNDRED FIFTY-FIVE OF THE PENAL LAW, AN OFFENSE OF TERRORISM DEFINED
IN ARTICLE FOUR HUNDRED NINETY OF THE PENAL LAW, OR AN ATTEMPT OR A
CONSPIRACY TO COMMIT ANY SUCH OFFENSE. The commissioner shall promulgate
regulations giving direction to the temporary release committee at each
institution in order to aid such committees in carrying out this
mandate.
[The governor, by executive order, may exclude or limit the partic-
ipation of any class of otherwise eligible incarcerated individuals from
participation in a temporary release program. Nothing in this paragraph
shall be construed to affect either the validity of any executive order
previously issued limiting the participation of otherwise eligible
A. 6481 4
incarcerated individuals in such program or the authority of the commis-
sioner to impose appropriate regulations limiting such participation.]
§ 3. Subdivision 2-a of section 851 of the correction law, as amended
by chapter 322 of the laws of 2021, is amended to read as follows:
2-a. Notwithstanding subdivision two of this section, the term "eligi-
ble incarcerated individual" shall also include 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] FOUR
years, and who was convicted of a homicide offense as defined in article
one hundred twenty-five of the penal law or an assault offense defined
in article one hundred twenty of the penal law, and who can demonstrate
to the commissioner that: (a) the victim of such homicide or assault was
a member of the incarcerated individual's immediate family as that term
is defined in section 120.40 of the penal law or had a child in common
with the incarcerated individual; (b) the incarcerated individual was
subjected to substantial physical, sexual or psychological abuse commit-
ted by the victim of such homicide or assault; and (c) such abuse was a
substantial factor in causing the incarcerated individual to commit such
homicide or assault. With respect to an incarcerated individual's claim
that he or she was subjected to substantial physical, sexual or psycho-
logical abuse committed by the victim, such demonstration shall include
corroborative material that may include, but is not limited to, witness
statements, social services records, hospital records, law enforcement
records and a showing based in part on documentation prepared at or near
the time of the commission of the offense or the prosecution thereof
tending to support the incarcerated individual's claim. Prior to making
a determination under this subdivision, the commissioner is required to
request and take into consideration the opinion of the district attorney
who prosecuted the underlying homicide or assault offense and the opin-
ion of the sentencing court. If such opinions are received within
forty-five days of the request, the commissioner shall take them into
consideration. If such opinions are not so received, the commissioner
may proceed with the determination. Any action by the commissioner
pursuant to this subdivision shall be deemed a judicial function and
shall not be reviewable in any court.
§ 4. Subdivision 2-b of section 851 of the correction law, as added by
chapter 738 of the laws of 2004, is amended to read as follows:
2-b. When calculating in advance the date on which a person is or will
be eligible for release on parole or conditional release, for purposes
of determining eligibility for temporary release or for placement at an
alcohol and substance abuse treatment correctional annex, the commis-
sioner shall consider and include credit for all potential credits and
reductions including but not limited to merit time, ADDITIONAL MERIT
TIME and good behavior allowances. Nothing in this subdivision shall be
interpreted as precluding the consideration and inclusion of credit for
all potential credits and reductions including, but not limited to,
merit time, ADDITIONAL MERIT TIME and good behavior allowances when
calculating in advance for any other purpose the date on which a person
is or will be eligible for release on parole or conditional release.
§ 5. 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 be subject to the expiration and
reversion of such subdivision and section pursuant to subdivision (c) of
section 46 of chapter 60 of the laws of 1994 and section 10 of chapter
339 of the laws of 1972, as amended, when upon such date the provisions
of section two of this act shall take effect; provided further, that the
A. 6481 5
amendments to subdivision 2 of section 851 of the correction law made by
section two of this act shall expire on the same date as subdivision (c)
of section 46 of chapter 60 of the laws of 1994, section 10 of chapter
339 of the laws of 1972, and section 5 of chapter 554 of the laws of
1986, as amended, expire; provided further that the amendments to subdi-
visions 2-a and 2-b of section 851 of the correction law, made by
sections three and four of this act shall not affect the expiration of
such section and shall expire therewith.