BILL NUMBER: S1692A
SPONSOR: RAMOS
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the correction law, in relation to commissaries or
canteens in correctional institutions
 
PURPOSE:
The purpose of this bill is to ensure that items provided for sale at
commissaries or canteens in correctional facilities are sold to incar-
cerated individuals at a fair price.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section one would require that items sold at commissaries or canteens in
correctional facilities shall be sold at no more than three percent over
the purchase price and that the department shall not receive commis-
sions, revenue, or other financial incentives in any contract with a
seller, supplier, or vendor of commissary items.
Section two would require the department to publish online the price
lists for commissary items for sale.
Section three would provide for the effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
"This legislation would guarantee that items sold at the commissaries or
canteens are available for purchase at a fair price and ensures that the
incarcerated individuals' commissary funds are reserved for the purchas-
ing of goods, and not used to pay an incarcerated individual's penalty
for a violation.
Commissaries or canteens have too often served as a method in which
correctional facilities financially exploit incarcerated individuals and
their families. As we work to increase the minimum wage for incarcerated
individuals, we need to make sure that correctional facilities do not
gouge the prices of goods and digital services, purchased through the
commissary or canteens. This bill is an important step to create finan-
cial equity for incarcerated individuals and their families. There are
approximately 32,600 incarcerated persons in New York prisons, predomi-
nantly people of color, in the State of New York and it is our duty to
ensure that they are being treated with fairness." (Sponsor)
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2023-24: S1744 (Ramos) Passed Senate / A5134 (People-Stokes) Referred to
Ways and Means
2021-22: S1051 (Ramos) Referred to Crime Victims, Crime and Correction
2019-20: S3473 (Ramos) Referred to Crime Victims, Crime and Correction
/A6088 (Fernandez) referred to correction
 
FISCAL IMPACT:
To be determined.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This law will take effect immediately.

Statutes affected:
S1692: 26 correction law
S1692A: 26 correction law