Under a recent approval, legislators have compelled an enhancement of monitoring in correctional institutions by mounting more surveillance devices. This initiative comes in the form of a sweeping bill zeroing in on enhancing openness within New York’s penitentiary system. Notably, this bill, the first significant legislation to be approved recently, materialized after the fatal physical assaults of two incarcerated individuals bound by handcuffs at two independent facilities in upstate New York.
The capital’s heads of administration look at this bill as a progressive move to tackle the ongoing violent occurrences inside New York’s penitentiaries. However, some campaigners for criminal justice argue that the state Democrats have not sufficiently stretched their efforts. In accordance with the new law, the state must inform the public in case of a prisoner’s demise while also revealing any video proof correlated to the tragedy if a penitentiary guard is implicated.
Another provision within the legislation necessitates the state to organize a comprehensive inquiry into the fatalities inside penitentiaries, culminating in providing extensive suggestions. The legislation, a sum of about ten distinct plans, is now prepared to be presented to Governor Kathy Hochul. A member of her staff has announced that Governor Hochul will examine the legislation in due course.
During a considerable part of the legislative session, State Democrats had been absorbed in considering how to enact adjustments to the state’s penitentiary system. The deaths of two imprisoned Black males, one 43-year-old Robert Brooks and 22-year-old Messiah Nantwi sparked public outrage and brought the escalating violence within the state’s penitentiary system into sharp focus.
The progression of the legislative process got tangled up in litigatory postponements, coupled with a three-week unapproved penitentiary strike that laid bare prevalent discontentment amongst the ranks of the correction officers. Nonetheless, the sweeping legislation garnered flak from progressive organizations for failing to encompass modifications to the state’s parole procedure or giving judges the mandate to reevaluate lengthier sentences.
The Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic & Asian Legislative Caucus had endorsed both of these modifications as a part of an assortment of more than 20 bills labeled the ‘Robert Brooks Blueprint for Justice and Reform’. The Legal Aid Society expressed its sentiments in a statement, acknowledging that without implementing these reforms, the system will persistently inflict harm, with the brunt borne predominantly by communities of color.
The Legal Aid Society further added to their statement, ‘In the absence of these reforms, the system will consistently indulge in causing harm, unduly impacting the communities of color. The legislative package shies away from challenging the immunity correction authorities revel in when they maltreat those under their custody.’
Lat Thursday, a media briefing was held at which several state lawmakers who had played an instrumental role in getting the bill passed, confessed that the bill did not include all the elements they had wished for personally. One state Senator pointed out, ‘This isn’t an all-inclusive criminal legal reform omnibus bill. We are fully aware of the fact that there is much more that we are advocating for…’
The Senator further added, ‘However, that is entirely separate from what we are dealing with today: to hold the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision account for their actions, to promote transparency and uplift the prison system in our state.’ Another Democratic Assemblymember echoed the sentiment, ‘In no way, do I deem this a triumphant occasion.’
The Earned Time Act, a proposal designed to broaden the avenues for inmates to deduct time off their durations for demonstrating good behavior and engagement in educational and self-improvement programs, was also unfortunately omitted from the comprehensive bill. The negotiators fell short of reaching a unison on provisions related to earned time.
One state Senator who was a co-sponsor of the bill expressed his belief, ‘It is slightly disappointing that neither the Earned Time Act nor some of the other proposed bills were included. It was a bit of a squandered chance, particularly because significant strides were made during the extended budget process this year.’
An Assemblymember explained that the lawmakers had tried to incorporate versions of the proposed bills into the final legislation, but consensus couldn’t be achieved among lawmakers from both chambers. The Assemblymember stated, ‘In principle, everyone agrees that earned time off sentences for good behavior is a policy we’d like to adopt.’
However, she divulged, ‘Sorting out the specific details concerning the quantum of time and the time credit constituted the hurdle that couldn’t be tackled.’ The bill did not sit well with the Republicans either, who claimed that it falls short in addressing the concerns raised by corrections officers.
The officers voiced their concerns over the escalating violence within the prison facilities and urged the state to undertake reinstatement of the staff members who were dismissed for taking a stand on the picket line.
In summary, while the recently passed omnibus bill is deemed a significant step towards increasing transparency and accountability within New York’s correctional systems, concerns and criticisms remain. The legislation highlights the complex challenges in balancing the needs of correctional officers, prisoners, and the broader community, and emphasizes the need for ongoing efforts in criminal justice reform.