BILL NUMBER: S5243
SPONSOR: BAILEY
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the correction law and the executive law, in relation to
setting standards for jail staffing analysis; providing the public the
opportunity to view the statistics of their local county jail
 
PURPOSE:
Requires the county sheriff to oversee an annual jail staffing analysis
and provide a report to the commission of corrections and community
supervision.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section one amends the relevant provision of the correction law to
direct county sheriffs or their designees to conduct an annual jail
staffing analysis and describe the methodology and criteria for consid-
eration of such an analysis.
Section two amends the corrections law to clarify requirements for jail
staffing levels at county jails.
Section three amends the correction law to describe the requirements of
a quarterly report on the housing of incarcerated individuals. These
reports must be posted on the Commission's website.
Section four amends the relevant provision of the executive law to
describe the abilities of the commission on corrections to ensure
compliance with the terms of this act.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
County jails in New York State have experienced a steady population
decline over the past several years. The 2022 population of all jail
facilities in the state was 15,494 compared to 25,059 in 2015. Given
this trend, as well as the diverse array of programmatic needs in county
jails, the mandatory staffing ratios set by the NYS Commission on
Corrections may be misaligned with the demands of efficient and effec-
tive jail administration by County Sheriffs' Departments.
Mandatory minimum staffing ratios present both administrative and fiscal
challenges for jails. County jail administrators have cited the mandato-
ry minimum staffing ratios as a challenge in administering medication
assisted treatment programs as well as other educational and career
programs for individuals incarcerated at these facilities. Moreover,
mandatory minimum staffing ratios can result in a maldistribution of
department resources by artificially inflating operating expenses in
situations where there is minimal implication of these ratios on
correction officer safety.
This legislation allows local county sheriff departments to conduct
their own analyses of county jail staffing, utilizing nationally recog-
nized methodologies that balance staff safety and department efficiency
in lieu of utilizing the Commission on Corrections analysis. Localized
analysis would account for the staffing needs of a particular jail's
population and account for disability- and medical-related demands.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2023-24: S8438 - Referred to Crime Victims, Crime and Correction
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately.

Statutes affected:
S5243: 500-b correction law, 500-b(9) correction law, 264 executive law, 264(1) executive law