NY State Senate Bill 2017-S6747

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Crime Victims, Crime And Correction Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

Please enter your contact information

First Name

Last Name

Email Address

A valid email address is required.

Home address is used to determine the senate district in which you reside. Your support or opposition to this bill is then shared immediately with the senator who represents you.

Optional services from the NY State Senate:

Create an account. An account allows you to officially support or oppose key legislation, sign petitions with a single click, and follow issues, committees, and bills that matter to you. When you create an account, you agree to this platform's terms of participation.

Include a custom message for your Senator? (Optional)

Enter a message to your senator. Many New Yorkers use this to share the reasoning behind their support or opposition to the bill. Others might share a personal anecdote about how the bill would affect them or people they care about.

Actions

View Actions

	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Feb 09, 2018	print number 6747a
Feb 09, 2018	amend and recommit to crime victims, crime and correction
Jan 03, 2018	referred to crime victims, crime and correction
Jun 15, 2017	referred to rules

Bill Amendments

Original

A (Active)

2017-S6747 - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Crime Victims, Crime And Correction
Law Section:: Correctional Services
Versions Introduced in 2019-2020 Legislative Session:: S267

2017-S6747 - Summary

Requires the city of New York to close the Rikers Island correctional facility within 3 years.

2017-S6747 - Sponsor Memo

                                 BILL NUMBER:  S6747

 TITLE OF BILL :

An act authorizing the closure of the Rikers Island correctional
facility; and providing for the repeal of such provision upon
expiration thereof

 PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL :

This bill would mandate the closure of Rikers Island Correctional
Facilities.

 SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS :

This bill requires the closure of Rikers Island correctional facility,
which is to replaced by use of other local correctional facilities.

 JUSTIFICATION :

Rikers Island has become a symbol of the worst aspects of New York's
criminal justice system. On any given day, three-quarters of the
people housed on Rikers Island are awaiting trial because they could
not make bail; 90% of people housed there are people of color. In
2014, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York
found that there is a "deep-seated culture of violence" at Rikers,

both between inmates, and between staff and inmates.

In April 2017, the Independent Commission on New York City Criminal
Justice and Incarceration Reform, headed by former Chief Judge
Jonathan Lipmann, concluded that closing Rikers Island is "an
essential step toward building a more just New York City." The report
recommended closing Rikers and housing its inmates at local jails
throughout New York City. This would also result in cost savings, as
the City currently spends $31 million per year transporting people
from Rikers to courthouses throughout New York City.

This bill would enact the most pressing change recommended by the
Commission, and would require the closing of Rikers by July 1, 2020.
The bill would also require that people awaiting trial and serving
misdemeanor sentences be housed in facilities throughout New York
City, closer to their attorneys, communities, and courthouses. This
legislation would represent a first step towards meaningful criminal
justice reform in New York City and across the State.

 PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :

2017: New bill

 FISCAL IMPLICATIONS :

To be determined.

 EFFECTIVE DATE :
This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire December 31,
2020 when upon such date the provisions of this act shall be deemed
repealed.

2017-S6747 - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   6747
 
                        2017-2018 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               June 15, 2017
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by Sen. BENJAMIN -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules
 
 AN ACT authorizing the closure of the Rikers Island correctional facili-
   ty; and providing for the repeal of  such  provision  upon  expiration
   thereof

   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Notwithstanding any provision of the correction law or  any
 other  provision  of law to the contrary, the city of New York shall, on
 or before July 1, 2020 close the Rikers  Island  correctional  facility,
 provided,  that prior to such closure, the city of New York shall estab-
 lish other facilities and/or utilize other  existing  facilities  to  be
 operated as local correctional facilities for the city of New York.
   §  2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire December
 31, 2020 when upon such date the provisions of this act shall be  deemed
 repealed.
 
 
 
 
 
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD13202-02-7

2017-S6747A (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Crime Victims, Crime And Correction
Law Section:: Correctional Services
Versions Introduced in 2019-2020 Legislative Session:: S267

2017-S6747A (ACTIVE) - Summary

Requires the city of New York to close the Rikers Island correctional facility within 3 years.

2017-S6747A (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                
 
BILL NUMBER: S6747A

SPONSOR: BENJAMIN
 
TITLE OF BILL:  An act authorizing the closure of the Rikers Island
correctional facility; and providing for the repeal of such provision
upon expiration thereof

 
PURPOSE:

This bill would mandate the closure of Rikers Island Correctional Facil-
ities.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

This bill requires the closure of Rikers Island correctional facility,
which is to replaced by use of other local correctional facilities.

 
EXISTING LAW: n/a

JUSTIFICATION:

Rikers Island has become a symbol of the worst aspects of New York's
criminal justice system. On any given day, three-quarters of the people
housed on Rikers Island are awaiting trial because they could not make
bail; 90% of people housed there are people of color. In 2014, the U.S.
Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York found that there
is a "deep-seated culture of violence" at Rikers, between inmates and
between staff and inmates.

In April 2017, the Independent Commission on New York City Criminal
Justice and Incarceration Reform, headed by former Chief Judge Jonathan
Lippman, concluded that closing Rikers Island is "an essential step
toward building a more just New York City." The report recommended clos-
ing Rikers and housing its inmates at local jails throughout New York
City. This would also result in cost savings, as the City currently
spends $31 million per year transporting people from Rikers to court-
houses throughout New York City.

This bill would enact the most pressing change recommended by the
Commission, and would require the closing of Rikers by July 1, 2020.
The bill would also require that people awaiting trial and serving
misdemeanor sentences be housed in facilities throughout New York City
closer to their attorneys, communities, and courthouses. This legis-
lation would represent a first step towards meaningful criminal justice
reform in New York City and across the State.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2017 New Bill

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

TBD

 
LOCAL FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

TBD

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire December 31,
2021 when upon such date the provisions of this act shall be deemed
repealed.

2017-S6747A (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  6747--A
 
                        2017-2018 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               June 15, 2017
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by Sen. BENJAMIN -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules  --  recommitted  to
   the  Committee  on  Crime  Victims, Crime and Correction in accordance
   with Senate Rule 6, sec. 8  --  committee  discharged,  bill  amended,
   ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee

 AN ACT authorizing the closure of the Rikers Island correctional facili-
   ty;  and  providing  for  the repeal of such provision upon expiration
   thereof
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1. Notwithstanding any provision of the correction law or any
 other provision of law to the contrary, the city of New York  shall,  on
 or  before  July  1, 2021 close the Rikers Island correctional facility,
 provided, that prior to such closure, the city of New York shall  estab-
 lish  other  facilities  and/or  utilize other existing facilities to be
 operated as local correctional facilities for the city of New York.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire  December
 31,  2021 when upon such date the provisions of this act shall be deemed
 repealed.
 
 
 

 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD13202-03-8

Comments

Open Legislation is a forum for New York State legislation. All comments are subject to review and community moderation is encouraged.

Comments deemed off-topic, commercial, campaign-related, self-promotional; or that contain profanity, hate or toxic speech; or that link to sites outside of the nysenate.gov domain are not permitted, and will not be published. Attempts to intimidate and silence contributors or deliberately deceive the public, including excessive or extraneous posting/posts, or coordinated activity, are prohibited and may result in the temporary or permanent banning of the user. Comment moderation is generally performed Monday through Friday. By contributing or voting you agree to the Terms of Participation and verify you are over 13.

Create an account. An account allows you to sign petitions with a single click, officially support or oppose key legislation, and follow issues, committees, and bills that matter to you. When you create an account, you agree to this platform's terms of participation.

Senate Bill S6747

Sponsored By

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Crime Victims, Crime And Correction Committee

Bill Amendments

2017-S6747 - Details

2017-S6747 - Summary

2017-S6747 - Sponsor Memo

2017-S6747 - Bill Text download pdf

2017-S6747A (ACTIVE) - Details

2017-S6747A (ACTIVE) - Summary

2017-S6747A (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2017-S6747A (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments

Senate Bill S6747

Share this bill

Sponsored By

Brian Benjamin

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Crime Victims, Crime And Correction Committee

Bill Amendments

2017-S6747 - Details

2017-S6747 - Summary

2017-S6747 - Sponsor Memo

2017-S6747 - Bill Text download pdf

2017-S6747A (ACTIVE) - Details

2017-S6747A (ACTIVE) - Summary

2017-S6747A (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2017-S6747A (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments