Bill > A03780

This bill amends the New York State Correction Law to require that incarcerated individuals be allowed to make at least one free personal phone call immediately before being transferred between correctional facilities, with an exception for "exceptional circumstances" that would create an unacceptable safety or security risk. If such a call cannot be made due to these exceptional circumstances, the department must document the reason in a contemporaneous written record. The bill also maintains an existing provision that allows incarcerated individuals to make a phone call within 24 hours of arriving at their new facility, with similar safety exceptions. The department is also required to electronically notify the incarcerated individual's next of kin or personal representative about the transfer. The language updates use gender-neutral terminology, replacing "he or she" with "such individual". The bill will go into effect 30 days after becoming law, aiming to provide incarcerated individuals with an opportunity to communicate with their personal contacts during facility transfers while preserving institutional safety protocols.

Justice

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A3780