BILL NUMBER: S4520
SPONSOR: BAILEY
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the correction law, in relation to the role of the
department of corrections and community supervision in planning and
facilitating the discharge or release of incarcerated individuals to the
community
 
PURPOSE:
To help ensure that individuals being released from state and local
correctional facilities receive appropriate support and services when
reentering the community. This bill provides comprehensive discharge
plans to individuals and reentry providers prior to an individual's
release or discharge from a correctional facility.
 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
Among other things, the bill amends the Correction Law to provide for
comprehensive discharge planning prior to the release or discharge of an
incarcerated individual from a correctional facility. The discharge plan
shall consider the person's mental health needs, medical care, housing,
employment, and substance use disorder services. The discharge plan must
be prepared in consultation with non-profit providers and incarcerated
individuals. All services under any given plan are voluntary unless
required by law. The term "reentry provider" is defined in the statute,
and includes programs or services designed to address housing, educa-
tional, and medical services. The law is also amended to clarify the
statute's applicability to department discharge plans for juvenile
offenders and adolescent offenders.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
Each year, thousands of individuals are released or discharged from
state correctional facilities, frequently without the support systems
necessary to succeed when they return to their communities. This legis-
lation requires the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision
to provide a comprehensive discharge plan to individuals upon release or
discharge from custody. The implementation of a comprehensive discharge
plan would help connect these individuals to healthcare services, stable
housing, mental health providers and reentry service providers, which
are critical for a successful integration into general society.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2021-22: S7229 - Referred to Finance
2023-24: S2188 - Referred to Crime Victims, Crime and Correction
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
To be determined.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Thirty days after becoming a law, with an immediate effective date for
rule amendments or repeals.

Statutes affected:
S4520: 78 correction law