Bill > A03089

This bill requires justices of the supreme court, county court judges, and court of claims judges who regularly preside over criminal or mixed criminal and civil cases to visit the correctional facility with the highest incarcerated population in their county within two years of their appointment or election, and then every two years thereafter. Following each visit, the judge must prepare and submit a detailed report to the clerk of the court of appeals within six months, documenting the facility's conditions. The report must comprehensively address various aspects of the correctional facility, including the welfare of incarcerated individuals, healthcare quality, sanitary conditions, and disciplinary actions involving both staff and inmates. This requirement is in addition to existing judicial oversight regulations (22 NYCRR section 17.1) and aims to provide judicial transparency and accountability in the monitoring of correctional facilities. The bill is designed to ensure that judges have direct, firsthand knowledge of the conditions within the correctional facilities in their jurisdictions, potentially helping to identify and address systemic issues.

Justice

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A3089