ALBANY, N.Y. (WKBW) — A proposed bill in the New York State Assembly would add an additional requirement to the process used by the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) to place inmates.
The bill, proposed by Assemblywoman Nily Rozic (D-Queens), would require DOCCS to place incarcerated people at the correctional facility closest to their children's home. The bill stipulates that this kind of placement would only happen "provided such placement is appropriate, and is in the best interest of the child if the incarcerated parent gives their consent to such placement."
DOCCS would work with the state's probation office and the Office of Children and Family Services to develop specific standards for assessing whether an inmate should be placed at the closest facility to their child. DOCCS would also be required to give a yearly report on how the policy is being implemented statewide.
A similar version of the bill passed the assembly in 2018, but never made it out of committee in the New York State Senate.
According to the bill, right now, more than 100,000 children in New York State have at least one parent in state prison.
