Bill > A07014

This bill requires correctional institutions and local facilities to establish comprehensive surveillance standards to enhance transparency and accountability. Specifically, the bill mandates that all covered facilities install and maintain surveillance cameras that capture both audio and visual evidence throughout their premises, with exceptions for private areas like cell interiors, showers, and medical treatment spaces. Staff members are required to wear body cameras during entire shifts when incarcerated individuals are present, and all camera footage must be continuously recorded and uploaded at the end of each shift. The bill establishes a six-month minimum retention period for surveillance recordings, which extends to five years if misconduct is alleged. Legal representatives, prosecutors, and defense counsel can request access to these recordings, and facilities must respond within ten business days, making reasonable efforts to redact other individuals' identities. Financial penalties are established for facilities that fail to maintain adequate camera coverage or provide requested footage, ranging from $5,000 to $10,000 per violation. Additionally, the state inspector general is tasked with conducting annual audits of these facilities and publishing the results, including any assessed penalties, to ensure compliance and promote transparency in the correctional system.

Justice

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A7014