Requires the commissioner of corrections and community supervision to identify and eliminate all surveillance dead zones in correctional facilities under the jurisdiction of the department of corrections.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
3953
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 30, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. VANEL -- read once and referred to the Committee
on Correction
AN ACT to amend the correction law, in relation to surveillance dead
zones in correctional facilities
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The correction law is amended by adding a new section 12 to
2 read as follows:
3 § 12. Surveillance dead zones. 1. No later than ninety days after the
4 effective date of this section, the commissioner shall:
5 (a) Evaluate the security camera systems of each correctional facility
6 under the jurisdiction of the department;
7 (b) Conduct a comprehensive survey of each correctional facility under
8 the jurisdiction of the department to identify all blind spots in each
9 correctional facility. For purposes of this section, a "blind spot"
10 shall mean an area, irrespective of size, that does not receive twenty-
11 four-hour surveillance by a security camera, including security cameras
12 whose field of surveillance can be manually or automatically reposi-
13 tioned to create an unsurveilled area, a camera which has such poor
14 quality video that surveillance footage would not be adequate to identi-
15 fy an act of violence or sexual assault taking place, a camera that is
16 obstructed or blinded by an object or light source, or a camera that
17 cannot adequately identify an act of violence or sexual assault taking
18 place in darkness; and
19 (c) Submit a plan to the governor, attorney general, and the legisla-
20 ture related to curing such blind spots in each correctional facility.
21 2. The plan required under subdivision one of this section shall:
22 (a) Identify and include plans to address any deficiencies in the
23 security camera system in use at each correctional facility, including
24 those related to:
25 (i) an insufficient number of cameras;
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD05764-01-5
A. 3953 2
1 (ii) inoperable or malfunctioning cameras;
2 (iii) blind spots;
3 (iv) poor quality video; and
4 (v) any other deficits in the security camera system.
5 (b) Identify and include plans to adopt and maintain any security
6 camera system upgrades needed to achieve the purposes described in
7 subdivision one of this section, including:
8 (i) conversion of all analog cameras to digital surveillance systems,
9 with corresponding infrastructure and equipment upgrade requirements;
10 (ii) upgrades to ensure the secure storage, logging, preservation, and
11 accessibility of recordings such that the recordings are available to
12 investigators or courts at such time as may be reasonably required; and
13 (iii) additional enterprise-wide camera system capabilities needed to
14 enhance the safety and security of incarcerated persons and staff.
15 (c) Include an assessment of operational and logistical considerations
16 in implementing the plan required under subdivision one of this section,
17 including:
18 (i) a prioritization of facilities for needed upgrades, beginning with
19 high security institutions;
20 (ii) the personnel and training necessary to implement the changes;
21 (iii) ongoing repair and maintenance requirements; and
22 (iv) a three-year strategic plan and cost projection for implementing
23 the changes and upgrades to the security camera systems.
24 3. Not later than three years after the date on which a plan is
25 submitted pursuant to paragraph (c) of subdivision one of this section,
26 and subject to appropriations, the commissioner shall complete implemen-
27 tation of the submitted plan.
28 4. Beginning one year after the date on which a plan is submitted
29 pursuant to paragraph (c) of subdivision one of this section, and each
30 year thereafter until the end of the three-year period described in
31 subdivision three of this section, the commissioner shall submit to the
32 governor, attorney general, and legislature a report on the progress of
33 the implementation of the submitted plan.
34 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
