Directs the department of corrections and community supervision to test a program of supplying inmates with tablets for educational and recreational means.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
1031
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 13, 2023
___________
Introduced by M. of A. WALKER, SIMON, WEPRIN -- read once and referred
to the Committee on Correction
AN ACT directing the department of corrections and community supervision
to test a program of supplying inmates with tablets for educational
and recreational means
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Legislative finding. The bureau of prisons offers secure
2 email service to all federal inmates nationwide. County jails in numer-
3 ous states have found that granting inmates access to tablets with
4 educational and recreational programs including secure email reduces
5 idle time, improves morale and increases inmate productivity. Therefore,
6 the legislature finds that it would be beneficial for the department of
7 corrections and community supervision operate a pilot program to test
8 the benefit of providing secure email and other electronic programs to
9 inmates.
10 § 2. The department of corrections and community supervision shall
11 develop and implement a pilot program to test the benefit of a tablet-
12 based portfolio of educational and recreation programs, including a
13 secured email program, to improve inmate communication with his or her
14 family, attorney, community members and organizations, and with the
15 department itself. Such pilot program shall include no fewer than thirty
16 non-internet based tablet devices providing a secure email communication
17 program in addition to educational and recreational programs which
18 consider the unique needs and circumstances of the inmate population
19 including factors related to health, age, education, religion, voca-
20 tional training and other determining characteristics as the department
21 may deem appropriate. One year after the department shall have commenced
22 the pilot program the department shall issue a report to the governor
23 and the legislature on the impact of the pilot program on facility safe-
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD04595-01-3
A. 1031 2
1 ty, inmate behavior and performance, and other indicators of the value
2 of providing such tablet-based devices in the correctional setting.
3 § 3. This act shall take effect one year after it shall have become a
4 law.
