Bill > A00608

This bill expands the eligibility for prison work release programs by modifying several key provisions of the correction law. The bill extends the window for work release eligibility from two to three years before potential parole or conditional release, with specific considerations for different types of offenders. For individuals convicted of certain serious offenses involving deadly weapons or specific drug-related felonies, the waiting period for work release is adjusted from eighteen to thirty months. The bill also introduces a new provision allowing individuals who committed homicide offenses against an immediate family member or someone with whom they share a child to be considered for work release, provided they can demonstrate they were victims of substantial abuse by the person they harmed. Additionally, the bill requires the corrections department to calculate parole and release eligibility dates by including all potential credits, such as merit time and good behavior allowances. The bill aims to provide more opportunities for rehabilitation and successful reentry while maintaining safeguards for public safety by excluding individuals convicted of certain serious offenses like terrorism, child sexual performance offenses, and specific sex crimes from work release programs.

Justice

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A608