Bill Text: NY A00508 | 2021-2022 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires that all comments and testimony made by a third party either in support or opposition in a parole hearing shall be considered when coming to a decision; adds provisions relating to confidentiality of victim statements.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-01-05 - referred to correction [A00508 Detail]
Download: New_York-2021-A00508-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 508 2021-2022 Regular Sessions IN ASSEMBLY (Prefiled) January 6, 2021 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. JONES, ENGLEBRIGHT, J. RIVERA, DICKENS, LAVINE, J. A. GIGLIO, MONTESANO, McDONOUGH, RA, BUTTENSCHON, B. MILLER, MANK- TELOW, GRIFFIN -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. BARCLAY, COOK, HAWLEY -- read once and referred to the Committee on Correction AN ACT to amend the executive law and the criminal procedure law, in relation to statements to the state board of parole The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Subparagraph (A) of paragraph (c) of subdivision 2 of 2 section 259-i of the executive law, as amended by chapter 130 of the 3 laws of 2016, is amended to read as follows: 4 (A) Discretionary release on parole shall not be granted merely as a 5 reward for good conduct or efficient performance of duties while 6 confined but after considering if there is a reasonable probability 7 that, if such inmate is released, he will live and remain at liberty 8 without violating the law, and that his release is not incompatible with 9 the welfare of society and will not so deprecate the seriousness of his 10 crime as to undermine respect for law. In making the parole release 11 decision, the procedures adopted pursuant to subdivision four of section 12 two hundred fifty-nine-c of this article shall require that the follow- 13 ing be considered: (i) the institutional record including program goals 14 and accomplishments, academic achievements, vocational education, train- 15 ing or work assignments, therapy and interactions with staff and 16 inmates; (ii) performance, if any, as a participant in a temporary 17 release program; (iii) release plans including community resources, 18 employment, education and training and support services available to the 19 inmate; (iv) any deportation order issued by the federal government 20 against the inmate while in the custody of the department and any recom- 21 mendation regarding deportation made by the commissioner of the depart- 22 ment pursuant to section one hundred forty-seven of the correction law; EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD05392-01-1A. 508 2 1 (v) any current or prior statement made to the board by the crime victim 2 or the victim's representative, where the crime victim is deceased or is 3 mentally or physically incapacitated; (vi) any statement in support or 4 opposition made to the board by a third party; (vii) the length of the 5 determinate sentence to which the inmate would be subject had he or she 6 received a sentence pursuant to section 70.70 or section 70.71 of the 7 penal law for a felony defined in article two hundred twenty or article 8 two hundred twenty-one of the penal law; [(vii)] (viii) the seriousness 9 of the offense with due consideration to the type of sentence, length of 10 sentence and recommendations of the sentencing court, the district 11 attorney, the attorney for the inmate, the pre-sentence probation report 12 as well as consideration of any mitigating and aggravating factors, and 13 activities following arrest prior to confinement; and [(viii)] (ix) 14 prior criminal record, including the nature and pattern of offenses, 15 adjustment to any previous probation or parole supervision and institu- 16 tional confinement. The board shall provide toll free telephone access 17 for crime victims. In the case of an oral statement made in accordance 18 with subdivision one of section 440.50 of the criminal procedure law, 19 the parole board member shall present a written report of the statement 20 to the parole board. A crime victim's representative shall mean the 21 crime victim's closest surviving relative, the committee or guardian of 22 such person, or the legal representative of any such person. Such 23 statement submitted by the victim or victim's representative may include 24 information concerning threatening or intimidating conduct toward the 25 victim, the victim's representative, or the victim's family, made by the 26 person sentenced and occurring after the sentencing. Such information 27 may include, but need not be limited to, the threatening or intimidating 28 conduct of any other person who or which is directed by the person 29 sentenced. Any statement by a victim or the victim's representative made 30 to the board shall be maintained by the department in the file provided 31 to the board when interviewing the inmate in consideration of release. A 32 victim or victim's representative who has submitted a written request to 33 the department for the transcript of such interview shall be provided 34 such transcript as soon as it becomes available. 35 § 2. Subparagraph (B) of paragraph (c) of subdivision 2 of section 36 259-i of the executive law, as separately amended by chapters 40 and 126 37 of the laws of 1999, is amended to read as follows: 38 (B) Where a crime victim or victim's representative as defined in 39 subparagraph (A) of this paragraph [, or other person] submits to the 40 parole board a written statement concerning the release of an inmate, 41 such statement shall be deemed confidential and shall only be made 42 available to the parole board [shall keep that individual's name and43address confidential] for use in rendering parole decisions. 44 § 3. Subdivision 1 of section 440.50 of the criminal procedure law, as 45 amended by chapter 193 of the laws of 2017, is amended to read as 46 follows: 47 1. Upon the request of a victim of a crime, or in any event in all 48 cases in which the final disposition includes a conviction of a violent 49 felony offense as defined in section 70.02 of the penal law, a felony 50 defined in article one hundred twenty-five of such law, or a felony 51 defined in article one hundred thirty of such law, the district attorney 52 shall, within sixty days of the final disposition of the case, inform 53 the victim by letter of such final disposition. If such final disposi- 54 tion results in the commitment of the defendant to the custody of the 55 department of corrections and community supervision for an indeterminate 56 sentence, the notice provided to the crime victim shall also inform theA. 508 3 1 victim of his or her right to submit a written, audiotaped, or vide- 2 otaped victim impact statement to the department of corrections and 3 community supervision or to meet personally with a member of the state 4 board of parole at a time and place separate from the personal interview 5 between a member or members of the board and the inmate and make such a 6 statement, subject to procedures and limitations contained in rules of 7 the board, both pursuant to subdivision two of section two hundred 8 fifty-nine-i of the executive law. Such notice shall inform the victim 9 that a written, audiotaped, or videotaped victim impact statement shall 10 be deemed confidential and shall only be made available to the state 11 board of parole for use in rendering parole decisions. A copy of such 12 letter shall be provided to the board of parole. The right of the victim 13 under this subdivision to submit a written victim impact statement or to 14 meet personally with a member of the state board of parole applies to 15 each personal interview between a member or members of the board and the 16 inmate. 17 § 4. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall 18 have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or 19 repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of 20 this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed 21 on or before such effective date.
