Bill Text: NY S01377 | 2013-2014 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Relates to controlled substances and indeterminate sentences; relates to the expansion of merit time and repeals provisions relating to the allowance of limited credit time for inmates.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-01-08 - REFERRED TO CRIME VICTIMS, CRIME AND CORRECTION [S01377 Detail]
Download: New_York-2013-S01377-Introduced.html
S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K ________________________________________________________________________ 1377 2013-2014 Regular Sessions I N S E N A T E (PREFILED) January 9, 2013 ___________ Introduced by Sens. MONTGOMERY, DILAN -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Crime Victims, Crime and Correction AN ACT to amend the correction law, chapter 738 of the laws of 2004 amending the correction law and other laws relating to controlled substances and indeterminate sentences, the executive law, in relation to merit time, and to repeal section 803-b of the correction law relating to limited credit time allowances THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM- BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: 1 Section 1. Subparagraphs (i), (ii) and (iv) of paragraph (d) of subdi- 2 vision 1 of section 803 of the correction law, as added by section 7 of 3 chapter 738 of the laws of 2004, are amended to read as follows: 4 (i) Except as provided in subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph, every 5 person under the custody of the department or confined in a facility in 6 the department of mental hygiene serving an indeterminate sentence of 7 imprisonment with a minimum period of one year or more or a determinate 8 sentence of imprisonment of one year or more [imposed pursuant to 9 section 70.70 or 70.71 of the penal law,] may earn a merit time allow- 10 ance. 11 (ii) Such merit time allowance shall not be available to any person 12 serving [an indeterminate] A sentence [authorized for an A-I felony 13 offense, other than an A-I felony offense defined in article two hundred 14 twenty of the penal law, or any sentence imposed for a violent felony 15 offense as defined in section 70.02 of the penal law, manslaughter in 16 the second degree, vehicular manslaughter in the second degree, vehicu- 17 lar manslaughter in the first degree, criminally negligent homicide,] 18 IMPOSED FOR MURDER IN THE FIRST DEGREE AS DEFINED IN SECTION 125.27 OF 19 THE PENAL LAW, an offense defined in article one hundred thirty of the 20 penal law, incest, [or] an offense defined in article two hundred EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD03910-01-3 S. 1377 2 1 sixty-three of the penal law, [or] AN ACT OF TERRORISM AS DEFINED IN 2 ARTICLE FOUR HUNDRED NINETY OF THE PENAL LAW, aggravated harassment of 3 an employee by an inmate, OR AN ATTEMPT OR CONSPIRACY TO COMMIT ANY SUCH 4 OFFENSE. 5 (iv) Such merit time allowance may be granted when an inmate success- 6 fully participates in the work and treatment program assigned pursuant 7 to section eight hundred five of this article and when such inmate 8 [obtains a] ACHIEVES ONE OF THE FOLLOWING: (1) COMPLETES HIS OR HER 9 general equivalency diploma, HIS OR HER EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS AS 10 DETERMINED BY THE DEPARTMENT OR SATISFACTORILY COMPLETES COURSEWORK 11 SPONSORED BY AN INSTITUTION OF HIGHER LEARNING REPRESENTING A SEMESTER 12 OF ACADEMIC TRAINING; (2) COMPLETES an alcohol and substance abuse 13 treatment [certificate, a vocational trade certificate following at 14 least six months of vocational programming or performs] PROGRAM, OR 15 COMPLETES A COMPARABLE PROGRAM OF A DIFFERENT TYPE AS DETERMINED BY THE 16 DEPARTMENT, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ANGER MANAGEMENT, FAMILY 17 VIOLENCE, OR PARENTING; (3) COMPLETES A VOCATIONAL TRAINING PROGRAM OR A 18 COMPARABLE AND EQUIVALENT TRAINING PROGRAM AS DETERMINED BY THE DEPART- 19 MENT; (4) PERFORMS SATISFACTORILY FOR AT LEAST SIX MONTHS IN A SKILLED 20 JOB ASSIGNMENT, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, INMATE PROGRAM AIDE (IPA), 21 LAW LIBRARY CLERK, MEDICAL/INFIRMARY AIDE, CHILDREN'S CENTER AIDE, AND 22 FOOD SERVICE WORKER; OR (5) COMPLETES at least four hundred hours of 23 service as part of a community work crew. 24 Such allowance shall be withheld for any serious disciplinary infrac- 25 tion or upon a judicial determination that the person, while an inmate, 26 commenced or continued a civil action, proceeding or claim that was 27 found to be frivolous as defined in subdivision (c) of section eight 28 thousand three hundred three-a of the civil practice law and rules, or 29 an order of a federal court pursuant to rule 11 of the federal rules of 30 civil procedure imposing sanctions in an action commenced by a person, 31 while an inmate, against a state agency, officer or employee. 32 S 2. Subparagraphs (i), (ii) and (iv) of paragraph (d) of subdivision 33 1 of section 803 of the correction law, as added by section 10-a of 34 chapter 738 of the laws of 2004, are amended to read as follows: 35 (i) Except as provided in subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph, every 36 person under the custody of the department or confined in a facility in 37 the department of mental hygiene serving an indeterminate sentence of 38 imprisonment with a minimum period of one year or more or a determinate 39 sentence of imprisonment of one year or more [imposed pursuant to 40 section 70.70 or 70.71 of the penal law,] may earn a merit time allow- 41 ance. 42 (ii) Such merit time allowance shall not be available to any person 43 serving [an indeterminate] A sentence [authorized for an A-I felony 44 offense, other than an A-I felony offense defined in article two hundred 45 twenty of the penal law, or any sentence imposed for a violent felony 46 offense as defined in section 70.02 of the penal law, manslaughter in 47 the second degree, vehicular manslaughter in the second degree, vehicu- 48 lar manslaughter in the first degree, criminally negligent homicide,] 49 IMPOSED FOR MURDER IN THE FIRST DEGREE AS DEFINED IN SECTION 125.27 OF 50 THE PENAL LAW, an offense defined in article one hundred thirty of the 51 penal law, incest, [or] an offense defined in article two hundred 52 sixty-three of the penal law, [or] AN ACT OF TERRORISM AS DEFINED IN 53 ARTICLE FOUR HUNDRED NINETY OF THE PENAL LAW, aggravated harassment of 54 an employee by an inmate, OR AN ATTEMPT OR CONSPIRACY TO COMMIT ANY SUCH 55 OFFENSE. S. 1377 3 1 (iv) Such merit time allowance may be granted when an inmate success- 2 fully participates in the work and treatment program assigned pursuant 3 to section eight hundred five of this article and when such inmate 4 [obtains a] ACHIEVES ONE OF THE FOLLOWING: (1) COMPLETES HIS OR HER 5 general equivalency diploma, HIS OR HER EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS AS 6 DETERMINED BY THE DEPARTMENT OR SATISFACTORILY COMPLETES COURSEWORK 7 SPONSORED BY AN INSTITUTION OF HIGHER LEARNING REPRESENTING A SEMESTER 8 OF ACADEMIC TRAINING; (2) COMPLETES an alcohol and substance abuse 9 treatment [certificate, a vocational trade certificate following at 10 least six months of vocational programming or performs] PROGRAM, OR 11 COMPLETES A COMPARABLE PROGRAM OF A DIFFERENT TYPE AS DETERMINED BY THE 12 DEPARTMENT, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ANGER MANAGEMENT, FAMILY 13 VIOLENCE, OR PARENTING; (3) COMPLETES A VOCATIONAL TRAINING PROGRAM OR A 14 COMPARABLE AND EQUIVALENT TRAINING PROGRAM AS DETERMINED BY THE DEPART- 15 MENT; (4) PERFORMS SATISFACTORILY FOR AT LEAST SIX MONTHS IN A SKILLED 16 JOB ASSIGNMENT, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, INMATE PROGRAM AIDE (IPA), 17 LAW LIBRARY CLERK, MEDICAL/INFIRMARY AIDE, CHILDREN'S CENTER AIDE, AND 18 FOOD SERVICE WORKER; OR (5) COMPLETES at least four hundred hours of 19 service as part of a community work crew. 20 Such allowance shall be withheld for any serious disciplinary infrac- 21 tion or upon a judicial determination that the person, while an inmate, 22 commenced or continued a civil action, proceeding or claim that was 23 found to be frivolous as defined in subdivision (c) of section eight 24 thousand three hundred three-a of the civil practice law and rules, or 25 an order of a federal court pursuant to rule 11 of the federal rules of 26 civil procedure imposing sanctions in an action commenced by a person, 27 while an inmate, against a state agency, officer or employee. 28 S 3. Subparagraph (v) of paragraph (d) of subdivision 1 of section 803 29 of the correction law, as added by section 7 of chapter 738 of the laws 30 of 2004, is amended to read as follows: 31 (v) The provisions of this paragraph shall apply to persons in custody 32 serving an indeterminate sentence on the effective date of this para- 33 graph as well as to persons sentenced to an indeterminate sentence on 34 and after the effective date of this paragraph and prior to September 35 first, two thousand five and to persons sentenced to a determinate 36 sentence [prior to September first, two thousand eleven] for a felony as 37 defined in article two hundred twenty or two hundred twenty-one of the 38 penal law. 39 S 4. Subparagraph (v) of paragraph (d) of subdivision 1 of section 803 40 of the correction law, as added by section 10-a of chapter 738 of the 41 laws of 2004, is amended to read as follows: 42 (v) The provisions of this paragraph shall apply to persons in custody 43 serving an indeterminate sentence on the effective date of this para- 44 graph as well as to persons sentenced to an indeterminate sentence on 45 and after the effective date of this paragraph and prior to September 46 first, two thousand five and to persons sentenced to a determinate 47 sentence [prior to September first, two thousand eleven] for a felony as 48 defined in article two hundred twenty or two hundred twenty-one of the 49 penal law. 50 S 5. Paragraph (g) of subdivision 2-a of section 803 of the correction 51 law, as added by section 9 of chapter 738 of the laws of 2004, is 52 amended to read as follows: 53 (g) The provisions of this subdivision shall apply to persons in 54 custody serving an indeterminate sentence on the effective date of this 55 subdivision as well as to persons sentenced to an indeterminate sentence 56 on and after the effective date of this subdivision and prior to Septem- S. 1377 4 1 ber first, two thousand five and to persons sentenced to a determinate 2 sentence [prior to September first, two thousand eleven] for a felony as 3 defined in article two hundred twenty or two hundred twenty-one of the 4 penal law. 5 S 6. Paragraph (g) of subdivision 2-a of section 803 of the correction 6 law, as added by section 11 of chapter 738 of the laws of 2004, is 7 amended to read as follows: 8 (g) The provisions of this subdivision shall apply to persons in 9 custody serving an indeterminate sentence on the effective date of this 10 subdivision as well as to persons sentenced to an indeterminate sentence 11 on and after the effective date of this subdivision and prior to Septem- 12 ber first, two thousand five and to persons sentenced to a determinate 13 sentence [prior to September first, two thousand eleven] for a felony as 14 defined in article two hundred twenty or two hundred twenty-one of the 15 penal law. 16 S 7. Section 803-b of the correction law is REPEALED. 17 S 8. Subdivision (c-1) of section 41 of chapter 738 of the laws of 18 2004 amending the correction law and other laws relating to controlled 19 substances and indeterminate sentences is amended to read as follows: 20 (c-1) the provisions of sections seven, eight, nine, ten and ten-a of 21 this act, and subdivision 2-a of section 803 of the correction law, as 22 added by section eleven of this act shall apply to persons in custody 23 serving an indeterminate sentence on the effective date of such 24 provisions as well as to persons sentenced to an indeterminate sentence 25 on and after the effective date of such provisions and prior to Septem- 26 ber 1, 2005 and to persons sentenced to a determinate sentence [prior to 27 September 1, 2011] for a felony as defined in article 220 or 221 of the 28 penal law; 29 S 9. Clause (C) of subparagraph (i) of paragraph (e) of subdivision 1 30 of section 632-a of the executive law, as amended by section 24 of part 31 A-1 of chapter 56 of the laws of 2010, is amended to read as follows: 32 (C) [an offense for which a merit time allowance may not be received 33 against the sentence pursuant to paragraph (d) of subdivision one of 34 section eight hundred three of the correction law] AN A-I FELONY 35 OFFENSE, OTHER THAN AN A-I FELONY OFFENSE DEFINED IN ARTICLE TWO HUNDRED 36 TWENTY OF THE PENAL LAW, MANSLAUGHTER IN THE SECOND DEGREE, VEHICULAR 37 MANSLAUGHTER IN THE SECOND DEGREE, VEHICULAR MANSLAUGHTER IN THE FIRST 38 DEGREE, CRIMINALLY NEGLIGENT HOMICIDE, AN OFFENSE DEFINED IN ARTICLE ONE 39 HUNDRED THIRTY OF THE PENAL LAW, INCEST, AN OFFENSE DEFINED IN ARTICLE 40 TWO HUNDRED SIXTY-THREE OF THE PENAL LAW, AGGRAVATED HARASSMENT OF AN 41 EMPLOYEE BY AN INMATE; 42 S 10. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall 43 have become a law and shall apply to: (i) persons in custody serving an 44 indeterminate or determinate sentence or sentences on the effective 45 date; (ii) persons sentenced to an indeterminate or determinate sentence 46 or sentences on or after the effective date; and (iii) persons who have 47 not completed service of an indeterminate or determinate sentence or 48 sentences imposed prior to the effective date; provided, however, that 49 the amendments to section 803 of the correction law made by sections 50 one, three, and five of this act shall be subject to the expiration and 51 reversion of such section pursuant to subdivision d of section 74 of 52 chapter 3 of the laws of 1995, as amended, when upon such date the 53 provisions of sections two, four and six of this act shall take effect.