Bill Text: NY S01401 | 2013-2014 | General Assembly | Introduced


Bill Title: Relates to the segregated confinement of inmates with serious mental illness.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-01-08 - REFERRED TO CRIME VICTIMS, CRIME AND CORRECTION [S01401 Detail]

Download: New_York-2013-S01401-Introduced.html
                           S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                         1401
                              2013-2014 Regular Sessions
                                   I N  S E N A T E
                                      (PREFILED)
                                    January 9, 2013
                                      ___________
       Introduced by Sens. MONTGOMERY, PERKINS -- read twice and ordered print-
         ed,  and  when  printed  to  be  committed  to  the Committee on Crime
         Victims, Crime and Correction
       AN ACT to amend the correction law, in relation to limiting  the  segre-
         gated  confinement  of persons in a correctional facility with serious
         mental illness
         THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
    1    Section  1.  Paragraphs  (c),  (d),  (e)  and  (f) of subdivision 6 of
    2  section 137 of the correction law are relettered  paragraphs  (e),  (f),
    3  (g)  and  (h)  and two new paragraphs (c) and (d) are added and subpara-
    4  graph (i) of paragraph (f), as amended by chapter 1 of the laws of  2008
    5  and as relettered by this section, is amended to read as follows:
    6    (C)  INMATES  SHALL  NOT  BE  IN  SEGREGATED CONFINEMENT FOR REASON OF
    7  DISCIPLINE, DETENTION, ADMINISTRATIVE SEGREGATION,  PROTECTIVE  CUSTODY,
    8  KEEPLOCK, OR ANY OTHER REASON FOR ADMISSION, UNLESS THEY HAVE ENGAGED IN
    9  HIGHLY  DANGEROUS,  VIOLENT  OR  SERIOUS  ESCAPE-RELATED  BEHAVIOR WHILE
   10  INCARCERATED IN THAT FACILITY;
   11    (D) CONFINEMENT IN SEGREGATED CONFINEMENT SHALL BE LIMITED TO NOT MORE
   12  THAN NINETY DAYS, EXCEPT FOR AN INMATE WHOSE BEHAVIOR EXPOSES A  PATTERN
   13  OF  EXTREME  VIOLENCE  OR DANGER TO HIMSELF OR OTHERS AND, PROVIDED THAT
   14  FOR THOSE CONFINED LONGER THAN NINETY DAYS,  THERE  SHALL  BE  A  REVIEW
   15  EVERY  NINETY  DAYS  BY  AN INDEPENDENT REVIEW BOARD, TO BE KNOWN AS THE
   16  INMATE'S SPECIAL  HOUSING  UNIT  REVIEW  COUNCIL  TO  DETERMINE  WHETHER
   17  CONTINUED  SEGREGATED CONFINEMENT IS WARRANTED AND NECESSARY. SUCH COUN-
   18  CIL SHALL BE COMPOSED OF SEVEN MEMBERS APPOINTED BY  THE  GOVERNOR  WITH
   19  THE  ADVICE  AND  CONSENT OF THE SENATE. ONE MEMBER SHALL BE AN ATTORNEY
   20  ADMITTED TO PRACTICE LAW IN THIS STATE, ONE MEMBER  SHALL  BE  A  MENTAL
   21  HEALTH  PROFESSIONAL,  ONE  MEMBER  SHALL  BE  A CRIMINAL JUSTICE EXPERT
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD04006-01-3
       S. 1401                             2
    1  APPOINTED FROM WITHIN EMPLOYEES OF THE STATE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM, AND  ONE
    2  MEMBER SHALL BE A FORMER INMATE;
    3    (i)  Except  as  set  forth in clause (E) of subparagraph (ii) of this
    4  paragraph, the department, in consultation  with  mental  health  clini-
    5  cians,  shall  divert  TO A RESIDENTIAL MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT UNIT, or
    6  SHALL  remove  inmates  with  serious  mental  illness  FROM  SEGREGATED
    7  CONFINEMENT,  WHETHER  SUCH  SERIOUS MENTAL ILLNESS, as defined in para-
    8  graph [(e)] (G) of this subdivision, [from segregated confinement, where
    9  such confinement could potentially be for a period in excess  of  thirty
   10  days,  to  a  residential  mental  health  treatment unit] PRECEDED SUCH
   11  CONFINEMENT OR DEVELOPED DURING THE COURSE OF SUCH CONFINEMENT.  Nothing
   12  in this paragraph shall be deemed to prevent  the  disciplinary  process
   13  from  proceeding in accordance with department rules and regulations for
   14  disciplinary hearings.
   15    S 2. Section 500-k of the correction law, as amended by chapter  2  of
   16  the laws of 2008, is amended to read as follows:
   17    S  500-k.  Treatment  of inmates. Subdivisions five and six of section
   18  one hundred thirty-seven of this chapter, except  paragraphs  [(d)]  (F)
   19  and [(e)] (G) of subdivision six of such section, relating to the treat-
   20  ment  of  inmates  in  state  correctional  facilities are applicable to
   21  inmates confined in county jails; except that  the  report  required  by
   22  paragraph  [(f)] (H) of subdivision six of such section shall be made to
   23  a person designated to receive such report in the rules and  regulations
   24  of  the  state  commission of correction, or in any county or city where
   25  there is a department of [correction] CORRECTIONAL SERVICES, to the head
   26  of such department.
   27    S 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after
   28  it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition,  amend-
   29  ment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implemen-
   30  tation  of this act on its effective date is authorized to be made on or
   31  before such date.
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