S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   7053
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                               May 10, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  CUNNINGHAM  -- read once and referred to the
   Committee on Correction
 
 AN ACT to amend the correction law, in relation to requiring the depart-
   ment of corrections and community supervision to offer  civic  engage-
   ment  courses  one  year before an incarcerated individual is released
   from a correctional facility

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. The correction law is amended by adding a new section 80 to
 read as follows:
   §  80. REENTERING CITIZENS CIVIC ENGAGEMENT PROGRAM. 1. THE DEPARTMENT
 SHALL PROVIDE A NONPARTISAN AND PEER-LED CIVICS PROGRAM IN  ALL  CORREC-
 TIONAL  FACILITIES  IN THIS STATE TO TEACH CIVICS TO SOON-TO-BE RELEASED
 INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS. THE GOAL OF THE PROGRAM SHALL  BE  TO  PROMOTE
 THE SUCCESSFUL INTEGRATION OF FORMERLY INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS, PROMOTE
 DEMOCRACY, AND REDUCE RATES OF RECIDIVISM WITHIN THE STATE. THIS PROGRAM
 SHALL  ENSURE  THAT  INCARCERATED  INDIVIDUALS BEING RELEASED UNDERSTAND
 THEIR CIVIC RESPONSIBILITY AND KNOW HOW TO SECURE THEIR  RIGHT  TO  VOTE
 UPON THEIR RELEASE FROM A CORRECTIONAL FACILITY.
   2. THE REENTERING CITIZENS CIVIC ENGAGEMENT PROGRAM SHALL CONSIST OF A
 RIGOROUS  CURRICULUM,  AND  PARTICIPANTS SHALL BE INSTRUCTED ON SUBJECTS
 INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, VOTING RIGHTS, GOVERNMENTAL INSTITUTIONS,
 CURRENT AFFAIRS, AND SIMULATIONS OF VOTER  REGISTRATION,  ELECTION,  AND
 DEMOCRATIC  PROCESSES.  THE PROGRAM SHALL CONSIST OF THREE SESSIONS THAT
 ARE NINETY MINUTES EACH WHICH DO NOT NEED TO BE TAKEN CONSECUTIVELY. THE
 DEPARTMENT SHALL OFFER THE REENTERING CITIZENS CIVIC ENGAGEMENT  PROGRAM
 TO  INCARCERATED  INDIVIDUALS  SCHEDULED  TO  BE  RELEASED WITHIN TWELVE
 MONTHS, AND EACH INCARCERATED INDIVIDUAL SHALL ENROLL IN THE PROGRAM ONE
 TO TWELVE MONTHS PRIOR TO HIS OR  HER  EXPECTED  DATE  OF  RELEASE.  THE
 PROGRAM  SHALL  BE INCLUDED IN THE STANDARD EXIT PROCESS. THE DEPARTMENT
 SHALL AIM TO INCLUDE THE PROGRAM IN CONJUNCTION WITH  OTHER  PRE-RELEASE
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD10991-01-3
              

 A. 7053                             2
 
 PROCEDURES AND MOVEMENTS. DELAYS IN THE PROGRAM BEING PROVIDED SHALL NOT
 CAUSE DELAYS IN DISCHARGE. INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS MAY NOT BE PREVENTED
 FROM  ATTENDING  THE PROGRAM DUE TO STAFFING SHORTAGES, LOCKDOWNS, OR TO
 CONFLICTS  WITH  FAMILY  OR LEGAL VISITS, RECREATIONAL SESSIONS, DINING,
 WORK, CLASS, OR BATHING SCHEDULES. IN CASE OF CONFLICT OR STAFFING SHOR-
 TAGES, INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS  SHALL  BE  GIVEN  FULL  OPPORTUNITY  TO
 ATTEND A WORKSHOP AT A LATER TIME.
   3. THE REENTERING CITIZENS CIVIC ENGAGEMENT PROGRAM SHALL BE TAUGHT BY
 PEER  EDUCATORS  WHO ARE INCARCERATED IN CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES AND WHO
 ARE SPECIALLY TRAINED BY  EXPERIENCED  PEER  EDUCATORS  AND  ESTABLISHED
 NONPARTISAN CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS. ESTABLISHED NONPARTISAN CIVIC ORGANIZA-
 TIONS  MAY  BE ASSISTED BY AREA POLITICAL SCIENCE OR CIVICS EDUCATORS AT
 COLLEGES, UNIVERSITIES, AND HIGH SCHOOLS AND  BY  NONPARTISAN  ORGANIZA-
 TIONS  PROVIDING  REENTRY  SERVICES. THE NONPARTISAN CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS
 SHALL PROVIDE ADEQUATE TRAINING TO PEER EDUCATORS ON MATTERS  INCLUDING,
 BUT  NOT  LIMITED  TO, VOTING RIGHTS, GOVERNMENTAL INSTITUTIONS, CURRENT
 AFFAIRS, AND SIMULATIONS OF VOTER REGISTRATION, ELECTION, AND DEMOCRATIC
 PROCESSES, AND SHALL PROVIDE PERIODIC UPDATES TO PROGRAM CONTENT AND  TO
 PEER EDUCATORS.
   4. (A) PROGRAM CONTENT SHALL PROVIDE THE FOLLOWING:
   (I) NONPARTISAN INFORMATION ON VOTING HISTORY PROCEDURES;
   (II) NONPARTISAN DEFINITIONS OF LOCAL, STATE, AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENTAL
 INSTITUTIONS AND OFFICES; AND
   (III)  EXAMPLES  AND SIMULATIONS OF REGISTRATION AND VOTING PROCESSES,
 AND ACCESS TO VOTER REGISTRATION AND VOTING PROCESSES FOR THOSE INDIVID-
 UALS WHO ARE ELIGIBLE TO VOTE.
   (B) ESTABLISHED NONPARTISAN CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS SHALL PROVIDE PERIODIC
 UPDATES TO PROGRAM CONTENT AND PEER  EDUCATORS.  UPDATES  SHALL  REFLECT
 MAJOR RELEVANT CHANGES TO ELECTION LAWS AND PROCESSES IN NEW YORK.
   (C) PROGRAM CONTENT SHALL BE DELIVERED IN THE FOLLOWING MANNERS:
   (I) VERBALLY VIA PEER EDUCATORS; AND
   (II) PRINTED INFORMATION PACKETS.
   (D)  (I)  PEER  EDUCATORS  SHALL  DISSEMINATE  PRINTED INFORMATION FOR
 VOTING IN THE  INCARCERATED  INDIVIDUAL'S  COUNTY,  INCLUDING,  BUT  NOT
 LIMITED  TO,  ELECTION  AUTHORITIES'  ADDRESSES, ALL APPLICABLE INTERNET
 WEBSITES, AND PUBLIC CONTACT INFORMATION FOR ALL  ELECTION  AUTHORITIES.
 THIS  INFORMATION SHALL BE COMPILED INTO A CIVICS HANDBOOK. THE HANDBOOK
 SHALL ALSO INCLUDE KEY INFORMATION CONDENSED INTO A  POCKET  INFORMATION
 CARD.
   (II)  THIS INFORMATION SHALL ALSO BE COMPILED ELECTRONICALLY AND SHALL
 BE POSTED ON THE DEPARTMENT'S WEBSITE.
   (III) THE COMMISSIONER SHALL ENSURE THAT THE  WARDENS  OR  SUPERINTEN-
 DENTS  OF  ALL  CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES VISIBLY POST THIS INFORMATION ON
 ALL COMMON  AREAS  OF  THEIR  RESPECTIVE  CORRECTIONAL  FACILITIES.  THE
 COMMISSIONER  SHALL  ENSURE THAT UPDATED INFORMATION IS DISTRIBUTED IN A
 TIMELY, VISIBLE, AND ACCESSIBLE MANNER.
   (E) THE COMMISSIONER SHALL ORDER, IN A CLEARLY VISIBLE  AREA  OF  EACH
 PAROLE  OFFICE  WITHIN  THE  STATE,  THE POSTING OF A NOTICE STIPULATING
 VOTER ELIGIBILITY AND THAT CONTAINS THE CURRENT INTERNET WEBSITE ADDRESS
 AND VOTER REGISTRATION INFORMATION PROVIDED BY THE  BOARD  OF  ELECTIONS
 REGARDING  VOTING  RIGHTS FOR FORMERLY INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS RELEASED
 FROM THE PHYSICAL CUSTODY OF THE DEPARTMENT.
   5. (A) THE COMMISSIONER SHALL ENSURE THAT WARDENS  OR  SUPERINTENDENTS
 AND  FACILITY STAFF PERMIT PROGRAM SESSIONS TO BE HELD, AND THAT PARTIC-
 IPATING INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS ARE ESCORTED  TO  SUCH  SESSIONS  IN  A
 CONSISTENT AND TIMELY MANNER.
 A. 7053                             3
 
   (B)  COMPLIANCE  WITH  THIS  SECTION  SHALL  BE  MONITORED BY A REPORT
 PUBLISHED ANNUALLY BY THE DEPARTMENT, INCLUDING NUMBERS OF  INCARCERATED
 INDIVIDUALS  WHO  ENROLLED IN THE PROGRAM, NUMBERS OF INCARCERATED INDI-
 VIDUALS WHO COMPLETED THE PROGRAM, AND  TOTAL  NUMBERS  OF  INCARCERATED
 INDIVIDUALS RELEASED. DATA SHALL BE DISAGGREGATED BY CORRECTIONAL FACIL-
 ITY, RELEASE, OR RESIDENCE ADDRESS OF THE FORMERLY INCARCERATED INDIVID-
 UAL, AND OTHER FACTORS.
   § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
 it  shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amend-
 ment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implemen-
 tation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be  made  and
 completed on or before such effective date.