Statement from State Senator Gustavo Rivera On Bill That Would Notify The Next Of Kin Of The Death Of An Incarcerated Individual

(Albany, NY) - State Senator Gustavo Rivera released the following statement today after bill S5427A passed the New York State Senate Crime Victims, Crime and Correction Committee. This bill, which is sponsored by Senator Rivera in the Senate and Assemblymember Latoya Joyner in the Assembly, will require the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) to be responsive to inquiries from family members or other designated representative about the circumstances surrounding the death of an incarcerated individual, and to provide such persons with an original preliminary death certificate. 

"I am proud that my colleagues in the Senate Crime Victims, Crime and Correction Committee have joined me in pushing this bill towards the next step of the legislative process. The implementation of this measure will help the family members of a deceased incarcerated individual to navigate a difficult and largely bureaucratic process in a timely manner. I'm fully committed to continue working with Assemblymember Joyner and my colleagues in the Senate to ensure that this common sense measure passes through both houses and to continue to make our criminal justice system more efficient."