BILL NUMBER: S8222

SPONSOR: KAPLAN
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the executive law, in relation to creating the criminal
justice infrastructure investment grant program; and making an appropri-
ation therefor

 
PURPOSE:

To create the Criminal Justice Infrastructure Grant Program which appro-
priates $500 million to support much needed technological improvements
for impacted entities.

 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section 1 adds a new section to the executive law and creates the crimi-
nal justice infrastructure grant program. This section creates this
program within DCJS to award grants to provide hardware and software to
be used to assist with discovery, speedy trials and bail; including but
not limited to computers, laptops, high speed printers, optical scan-
              

ners, modems, routers, high speed fiber optic cable, cloud storage and
electronic monitors.

Eligibility is open to any municipal department having responsibility
for enforcing the criminal laws, any court in the unified court system,
sheriffs' offices, and district attorney's offices, with no minimum
grant amount.

The commissioner shall establish the form and manner in which applica-
tions shall be submitted, as well as establish guidelines. The Depart-
ment shall review each application for compliance and may approve,
reject, or return for modifications each application.  The Division
shall post on its website the following information for each approved
application: name of entity, amount of grant, description of the
project.

Section 2 appropriates five hundred million dollars for this program.

Section 3 is the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Since the enactment of bail reform and criminal justice reform measures
intended to protect every New Yorker's right to a fair and speedy trial,
there have been heightened demands placed on the criminal justice
system, including law enforcement organizations, District Attorneys'
offices, and the courts, in order to facilitate implementation of the
reforms and to deliver on their intended goals.

While there has been some State funding allocated towards pretrial
support services recently, it has not approached the levels needed to
help municipalities fully and properly implement the enacted reforms. In
a recent hearing on proposed funding levels for pretrial support
services, the State's Acting Commissioner for the Department of Criminal
Justice Services aptly noted that the changes to the state's bail laws
were "implemented without dedicated resources from the State," a fact

that has been highlighted by numerous stakeholders around the State in
the time since criminal justice reforms were enacted.

The new demands placed on technological infrastructure within the crimi-
nal justice system have revealed significant deficiencies and ineffi-
ciencies that have resulted in higher costs to local taxpayers,
increased overtime demands, delays in court proceedings, and insuffi-
cient access to trial materials that must be made accessible to defend-
ants.

Ultimately, the lack of modern technological infrastructure is prevent-
ing the speedy and efficient administration of justice in the State of
New York. There is simply no reason a defendant in the State of New York
should be delayed in preparing for trial because the local District
Attorney's office lacks access to high speed scanners, printers, or
cloud storage space. Similarly, no law enforcement agency should be
denied access to vital records about an individual's criminal history
because the original records exist on tape, film, or paper copy, rather
than a portable digital format that can be easily accessed and trans-
ferred.

The Criminal Justice Infrastructure Grant Program seeks to improve the
technological infrastructure that is responsible for the efficient
administration of justice in the State of New York, by providing grants
to law enforcement organizations across the State specifically to
upgrade and improve their technological infrastructure. Examples of
infrastructure that would qualify for grant funding under the program
include computers, laptops, high speed printers and scanners, cloud
storage for body-worn cameras, and electronic ankle monitors.

By improving and modernizing these systems across the State, we can make
our criminal justice system more efficient, make our communities safer
by giving law enforcement the tools they need to do so, save local
taxpayers money in the form of lower overtime expenses, and ensure the
right to a fair and speedy trial is protected for all defendants.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

 New Bill.

  
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

 $500 million.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.