Assembly Bill A3934

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   3934
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 30, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. HEVESI -- read once and referred to the Committee
   on Correction
 
 AN  ACT to amend the correction law, in relation to establishing a rein-
   tegration pilot program for individuals being  released  from  correc-
   tional facilities
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. The correction law is amended by adding a new section  71-b
 to read as follows:
   §  71-B.  REINTEGRATION  PILOT  PROGRAM. 1. THE DEPARTMENT, IN COLLAB-
 ORATION WITH THE OFFICE OF  TEMPORARY  AND  DISABILITY  ASSISTANCE,  THE
 OFFICE  OF  MENTAL  HEALTH  AND  THE  OFFICE  OF  ADDICTION SERVICES AND
 SUPPORTS SHALL ESTABLISH AND CONDUCT  A  FIVE-YEAR  REINTEGRATION  PILOT
 PROGRAM TO HELP ENSURE THAT INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS WITHIN CORRECTIONAL
 FACILITIES  RECEIVE  THE SUPPORTS AND SERVICES NECESSARY TO MEANINGFULLY
 PREPARE FOR THEIR RELEASE WHILE STILL INCARCERATED, TO  ASSIST  INDIVID-
 UALS TO REINTEGRATE INTO THE COMMUNITY UPON RELEASE, AND TO REDUCE RECI-
 DIVISM.  SUCH  PILOT  PROGRAM  SHALL  BE CONDUCTED IN THREE CORRECTIONAL
 FACILITIES, CONSISTING OF ONE FEMALE AND TWO MALE  FACILITIES,  SELECTED
 BY   THE  DEPARTMENT,  TAKING  INTO  CONSIDERATION  ADEQUATE  GEOGRAPHIC
 DISTRIBUTION WITHIN THE STATE AS  WELL  AS  AVAILABILITY  OF  SUFFICIENT
 LINKS  TO  SUPPORTS AND SERVICES REQUIRED BY THIS SECTION.  FOR PURPOSES
 OF THIS PILOT PROGRAM, THERE SHALL BE AT LEAST ONE HUNDRED  INCARCERATED
 INDIVIDUALS  WHO  ON  A  VOLUNTARY  BASIS REQUEST PLACEMENT IN THE PILOT
 PROGRAM UP TO ONE YEAR BEFORE  THEIR  EARLIEST  EXPECTED  RELEASE  DATE.
 EACH  INCARCERATED  INDIVIDUAL  SHALL  RECEIVE AN IN-DEPTH SCREENING AND
 ASSESSMENT TO DETERMINE THEIR SPECIFIC NEEDS AS RELATING  TO,  INCLUDING
 BUT  NOT  LIMITED TO, MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER SERVICES,
 EDUCATIONAL NEEDS AND JOB READINESS. IN ADDITION TO AN IN-DEPTH  SCREEN-
 ING  AND  ASSESSMENT,  PARTICIPANTS  IN  THE PILOT PROGRAM SHALL ALSO BE
 LINKED WITH NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS AND  PEER  TO  PEER  ENGAGEMENT
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD05018-01-5
              

 A. 3934                             2
 
 OPPORTUNITIES  TO  ASSIST  WITH THE INDIVIDUAL'S REINTEGRATION PLANNING.
 THIS SHALL OCCUR NO LESS THAN SIX MONTHS PRIOR TO THEIR EXPECTED RELEASE
 DATE AND SHALL CONSIST OF, BUT NOT BE LIMITED  TO,  ASSISTANCE  APPLYING
 FOR  PUBLIC  BENEFITS,  REFERRALS  AND  LINKS  TO  MENTAL  HEALTH AND/OR
 SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER SERVICE PROVIDERS IF APPLICABLE,  CONNECTIONS  TO
 EMPLOYMENT  OPPORTUNITIES  AS WELL AS JOB TRAINING PROGRAMS IF APPROPRI-
 ATE, ASSISTANCE FINDING AVAILABLE STABLE HOUSING OPTIONS TO BE AVAILABLE
 UPON RELEASE AND GENERAL SUPPORTS AND SERVICES THAT MAY BE  HELPFUL  FOR
 AN INDIVIDUAL REINTEGRATING BACK INTO THE COMMUNITY.
   2.  PRIOR  TO  RELEASE  FROM THE CORRECTIONAL FACILITY, THE DEPARTMENT
 SHALL IDENTIFY AND PLACE INDIVIDUALS WITH NOT-FOR-PROFIT PROVIDERS  THAT
 SHALL CONTINUE SUPPORTS AND SERVICES, AS NEEDED, FOR UP TO AN ADDITIONAL
 YEAR TO ENSURE THE INDIVIDUAL'S SUCCESSFUL REINTEGRATION INTO THE COMMU-
 NITY.  SUCH  SERVICES  SHALL  INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO, CONNECTING
 INDIVIDUALS TO HEALTH AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH  SERVICES,  AS  APPROPRIATE,
 ASSISTANCE  ENSURING COMPLIANCE WITH ANY PAROLE OR COURT MANDATED ACTIV-
 ITIES, CONNECTIONS TO EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES  BASED  ON  THEIR  SKILLS
 IDENTIFIED WHILE INCARCERATED AND ASSISTANCE ACQUIRING STABLE AFFORDABLE
 HOUSING.  THE  COLLABORATING AGENCIES SHALL CONTRACT WITH NOT-FOR-PROFIT
 PROVIDERS TO EFFECTUATE THE REQUIREMENTS SPECIFIED IN THIS SECTION WHERE
 THE DEPARTMENT IS UNABLE.
   3. THE COMMISSIONER, IN CONSULTATION WITH APPROPRIATE COMMUNITY ORGAN-
 IZATIONS, SHALL SUBMIT WITHIN ONE YEAR OF THE  EFFECTIVE  DATE  OF  THIS
 SECTION,  AND  ANNUALLY THEREAFTER, A REPORT TO THE GOVERNOR, THE TEMPO-
 RARY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER  OF  THE  ASSEMBLY  ON  THE
 EFFECTIVENESS OF THIS PILOT PROGRAM.  THIS PILOT SHALL RUN FOR TWO YEARS
 AND COLLECT DATA ON THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE:
   (A) CONNECTED TO HOUSING;
   (B) HOUSED;
   (C) CONNECTED TO EMPLOYMENT;
   (D) EMPLOYED;
   (E) CONNECTED TO MENTAL HEALTH CARE; AND
   (F) WITH SUBSTANCE ABUSE DISORDER.
   4.  NO  PERSON SHALL HAVE THE RIGHT TO DEMAND OR REQUIRE PARTICIPATION
 IN THE PILOT PROGRAM AUTHORIZED BY THIS SECTION.
   5. NOTHING IN THIS SECTION SHALL BE CONSTRUED TO AUTHORIZE THE DEPART-
 MENT TO HOLD AN INCARCERATED  INDIVIDUAL  IN  CONFINEMENT  BEYOND  THEIR
 EARLIEST RELEASE DATE.
   §  2. This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeed-
 ing the date upon which it shall have become a law. Effective immediate-
 ly, the addition, amendment and/or repeal  of  any  rule  or  regulation
 necessary  for  the implementation of this act on its effective date are
 authorized to be made and completed on or before such effective date.