Assembly Bill A3953

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   3953
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 30, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by M. of A. VANEL -- read once and referred to the Committee
   on Correction
 
 AN ACT to amend the correction law, in  relation  to  surveillance  dead
   zones in correctional 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 12 to
 read as follows:
   § 12. SURVEILLANCE DEAD ZONES. 1. NO LATER THAN NINETY DAYS AFTER  THE
 EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SECTION, THE COMMISSIONER SHALL:
   (A) EVALUATE THE SECURITY CAMERA SYSTEMS OF EACH CORRECTIONAL FACILITY
 UNDER THE JURISDICTION OF THE DEPARTMENT;
   (B) CONDUCT A COMPREHENSIVE SURVEY OF EACH CORRECTIONAL FACILITY UNDER
 THE  JURISDICTION  OF THE DEPARTMENT TO IDENTIFY ALL BLIND SPOTS IN EACH
 CORRECTIONAL FACILITY. FOR PURPOSES OF  THIS  SECTION,  A  "BLIND  SPOT"
 SHALL  MEAN AN AREA, IRRESPECTIVE OF SIZE, THAT DOES NOT RECEIVE TWENTY-
 FOUR-HOUR SURVEILLANCE BY A SECURITY CAMERA, INCLUDING SECURITY  CAMERAS
 WHOSE  FIELD  OF  SURVEILLANCE  CAN BE MANUALLY OR AUTOMATICALLY REPOSI-
 TIONED TO CREATE AN UNSURVEILLED AREA, A  CAMERA  WHICH  HAS  SUCH  POOR
 QUALITY VIDEO THAT SURVEILLANCE FOOTAGE WOULD NOT BE ADEQUATE TO IDENTI-
 FY  AN  ACT OF VIOLENCE OR SEXUAL ASSAULT TAKING PLACE, A CAMERA THAT IS
 OBSTRUCTED OR BLINDED BY AN OBJECT OR LIGHT SOURCE,  OR  A  CAMERA  THAT
 CANNOT  ADEQUATELY  IDENTIFY AN ACT OF VIOLENCE OR SEXUAL ASSAULT TAKING
 PLACE IN DARKNESS; AND
   (C) SUBMIT A PLAN TO THE GOVERNOR, ATTORNEY GENERAL, AND THE  LEGISLA-
 TURE RELATED TO CURING SUCH BLIND SPOTS IN EACH CORRECTIONAL FACILITY.
   2. THE PLAN REQUIRED UNDER SUBDIVISION ONE OF THIS SECTION SHALL:
   (A)  IDENTIFY  AND  INCLUDE  PLANS  TO ADDRESS ANY DEFICIENCIES IN THE
 SECURITY CAMERA SYSTEM IN USE AT EACH CORRECTIONAL  FACILITY,  INCLUDING
 THOSE RELATED TO:
   (I) AN INSUFFICIENT NUMBER OF CAMERAS;
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD05764-01-5
              

 A. 3953                             2
 
   (II) INOPERABLE OR MALFUNCTIONING CAMERAS;
   (III) BLIND SPOTS;
   (IV) POOR QUALITY VIDEO; AND
   (V) ANY OTHER DEFICITS IN THE SECURITY CAMERA SYSTEM.
   (B)  IDENTIFY  AND  INCLUDE  PLANS  TO ADOPT AND MAINTAIN ANY SECURITY
 CAMERA SYSTEM UPGRADES NEEDED  TO  ACHIEVE  THE  PURPOSES  DESCRIBED  IN
 SUBDIVISION ONE OF THIS SECTION, INCLUDING:
   (I)  CONVERSION OF ALL ANALOG CAMERAS TO DIGITAL SURVEILLANCE SYSTEMS,
 WITH CORRESPONDING INFRASTRUCTURE AND EQUIPMENT UPGRADE REQUIREMENTS;
   (II) UPGRADES TO ENSURE THE SECURE STORAGE, LOGGING, PRESERVATION, AND
 ACCESSIBILITY OF RECORDINGS SUCH THAT THE RECORDINGS  ARE  AVAILABLE  TO
 INVESTIGATORS OR COURTS AT SUCH TIME AS MAY BE REASONABLY REQUIRED; AND
   (III)  ADDITIONAL ENTERPRISE-WIDE CAMERA SYSTEM CAPABILITIES NEEDED TO
 ENHANCE THE SAFETY AND SECURITY OF INCARCERATED PERSONS AND STAFF.
   (C) INCLUDE AN ASSESSMENT OF OPERATIONAL AND LOGISTICAL CONSIDERATIONS
 IN IMPLEMENTING THE PLAN REQUIRED UNDER SUBDIVISION ONE OF THIS SECTION,
 INCLUDING:
   (I) A PRIORITIZATION OF FACILITIES FOR NEEDED UPGRADES, BEGINNING WITH
 HIGH SECURITY INSTITUTIONS;
   (II) THE PERSONNEL AND TRAINING NECESSARY TO IMPLEMENT THE CHANGES;
   (III) ONGOING REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENTS; AND
   (IV) A THREE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN AND COST PROJECTION FOR  IMPLEMENTING
 THE CHANGES AND UPGRADES TO THE SECURITY CAMERA SYSTEMS.
   3.  NOT  LATER  THAN  THREE  YEARS  AFTER  THE DATE ON WHICH A PLAN IS
 SUBMITTED PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPH (C) OF SUBDIVISION ONE OF THIS  SECTION,
 AND SUBJECT TO APPROPRIATIONS, THE COMMISSIONER SHALL COMPLETE IMPLEMEN-
 TATION OF THE SUBMITTED PLAN.
   4.  BEGINNING  ONE  YEAR  AFTER  THE DATE ON WHICH A PLAN IS SUBMITTED
 PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPH (C) OF SUBDIVISION ONE OF THIS SECTION,  AND  EACH
 YEAR  THEREAFTER  UNTIL  THE  END  OF THE THREE-YEAR PERIOD DESCRIBED IN
 SUBDIVISION THREE OF THIS SECTION, THE COMMISSIONER SHALL SUBMIT TO  THE
 GOVERNOR,  ATTORNEY GENERAL, AND LEGISLATURE A REPORT ON THE PROGRESS OF
 THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SUBMITTED PLAN.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.