Res 1044-2025

Whereas, Maintaining regular visitation for the incarcerated can often be a challenge, sometimes impacted by the availability of accurate information regarding how and when to visit; and Whereas, Consistent visitation can be helpful in maintaining and strengthening family bonds and serve as a morale boost that can uplift all those involved in the visit and acting as a reminder to those incarcerated that there is life outside of incarceration; and Whereas, Studies conducted by the Pennsylvania Prison Society and the Journal of Criminal Justice found that visitation led to a 25 percent drop in misconduct and a 26 percent drop in recidivism, respectively; and Whereas, Recidivism is defined by the National Institute of Justice as a person's relapse into criminal behavior, often after they revieve sanctions or undergoes intervention for a previous crime; and Whereas, Recidivism can lead to the rearrests, reconviction, leading to a cycle of incarceration; and Whereas, On February 4th, 2025, Assemblymember David Weprin introduced A.4603, which establishes visiting policies that allow incarcerated people opportunities for personal contact with relatives, friends, clergy, volunteers, and others to promote better institutional and community adjustment upon release; and Whereas, On February 18th, 2025, companion bill, S.5037, was introduced in the New York State Senate, sponsored by Senator Luis Sep�lveda; and Whereas, A.4603/S.5037 would require state and local correctional facilities to establish visiting programs that include, but are not limited to, visiting hours that are reasonably likely to accommodate people traveling from within the state, including evening hours starting at 6:00 PM, as well as weekend hours; and \Whereas, Such policies shall ensue visits of sufficient duration, such as a minimum of one hour at local correctional facilities, the publication of overcrowding policies that give consideration to the distance traveled by the visitor, the frequency of the visitor's visits, and most recent occasion that the incarcerated individual's visit was terminated due to overcrowding or other circumstances that limit in-person visits; and Whereas, A.4603/S.5037 could provide incarcerated individuals and their loved ones, as well as other members of their community, the opportunity to create or strengthen bonds, incentivize good behavior while incarcerated, and aid in lowering the probability of recidivism upon release; now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls on the New York State Legislature to pass, and the Governor to sign, A.4603/S.5037, which establishes visiting policies for incarcerated people and promotes better institutional and community adjustment upon release. WD 5/15/2025 LS 19111