S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
1923
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
I N S E N A T E
January 17, 2023
___________
Introduced by Sen. SEPULVEDA -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Crime Victims, Crime and
Correction
AN ACT establishing a temporary state commission to study and make
recommendations on violence in state correctional facilities; and
providing for the repeal of such provisions upon expiration thereof
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. A temporary state commission is hereby created to study and
make recommendations to the governor and the legislature concerning the
causes and consequences of violence in state correctional facilities.
The commission will place particular emphasis on changes in levels of
violence and the causes of those changes, but will not be restricted to
those topics.
§ 2. a. The commission shall consist of fourteen members to be
appointed as follows:
(i) the commissioner of the department of correctional services and
community supervision or his or her designee, who shall serve as chair
of the commission;
(ii) the commissioner of the office of mental health or his or her
designee;
(iii) the president of the union representing correctional officers or
his or her designee;
(iv) the president of the union representing correctional lieutenants
or his or her designee;
(v) the president of the union representing professional employees or
his or her designee;
(vi) the president of John Jay College of Criminal Justice or his or
her designee;
(vii) the executive director of the Correctional Association of New
York or his or her designee;
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00644-01-3
S. 1923 2
(viii) the executive director of Prisoner's Legal Services of New York
or his or her designee; and
(ix) six members to be appointed as follows:
(1) two shall be appointed by the governor;
(2) two shall be appointed by the temporary president of the senate;
and
(3) two shall be appointed by the speaker of the assembly.
b. Vacancies in the appointed members of the commission shall be
filled in the manner provided for original appointments. Membership on
the commission shall not constitute a public office.
§ 3. The members of the commission shall receive no compensation for
their services, but shall be allowed their actual and necessary expenses
incurred in the performance of their duties hereunder.
§ 4. The members of the commission shall be given unrestricted access
to all state correctional facilities and to receive unredacted copies of
any documents maintained by such facilities, although documents that are
confidential under state or federal law may not be disclosed by members
of the commission to individuals or organizations otherwise unauthorized
to receive such documents and all such copies of such documents shall be
destroyed upon the expiration of this act.
§ 5. The commission shall publish a final report of its findings and
make any recommendations it may deem necessary and appropriate to the
governor, the temporary president of the senate, the speaker of the
assembly, the chairperson of the senate crime victims, crime and
correction committee and the chairperson of the assembly correction
committee no later than two years after the effective date of this act.
§ 6. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire and be
deemed repealed two years after such date.