Bill > S00905

This bill amends the New York Correction Law to expand protections for incarcerated individuals with serious mental illness. Specifically, the bill modifies existing language to require that any incarcerated person who has ever been diagnosed with certain serious mental health conditions (such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorders, and various psychotic disorders) must be diverted or removed from segregated confinement or residential rehabilitation units if their confinement could potentially exceed thirty days. The bill broadens the previous language by removing time-specific diagnosis requirements, meaning that an individual's mental health diagnosis at any point in their incarceration can trigger this protective measure. The change aims to ensure that individuals with serious mental health diagnoses are transferred to residential mental health treatment units, which are presumed to provide more appropriate care. This modification does not prevent disciplinary processes from continuing, but it does prioritize mental health treatment over prolonged segregation. The bill will take effect thirty days after becoming law, potentially improving mental health care and conditions for incarcerated individuals with diagnosed mental health conditions.

Justice

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S905