Bill > S05037

This bill establishes comprehensive visiting policies for state and local correctional facilities to ensure incarcerated individuals can maintain meaningful personal connections with family, friends, and support networks. The legislation requires facilities to provide in-person visiting hours that are convenient for travelers, including evening and weekend time slots, and mandate visits of at least one hour in duration at local facilities. The bill also outlines an equitable overcrowding policy that considers factors like visitor travel distance, visit frequency, and previous visit disruptions when managing visitation. Importantly, the bill stipulates that video conferencing cannot replace in-person visits and does not count toward mandatory visitation requirements. The legislation emphasizes that no incarcerated person can be forced to receive visitors against their will, and the primary goals are to support individual transformation, improve institutional behavior, and facilitate better community reintegration upon release. The new visiting policies will take effect 120 days after the bill becomes law.

Budget and Finance, Justice

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S5037