A 4584: Requires the department of corrections and community supervision to provide a nonpartisan, peer-led civic engagement program for incarcerated individuals in all correctional facilities in this state which shall be completed by each incarcerated individual within one year prior to their release.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 4584 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN ASSEMBLY February 4, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. CUNNINGHAM -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. LEVENBERG -- 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: 1 Section 1. The correction law is amended by adding a new section 80 to 2 read as follows: 3 § 80. Reentering citizens civic engagement program. 1. The department 4 shall provide a nonpartisan and peer-led civics program in all correc- 5 tional facilities in this state to teach civics to soon-to-be released 6 incarcerated individuals. The goal of the program shall be to promote 7 the successful integration of formerly incarcerated individuals, promote 8 democracy, and reduce rates of recidivism within the state. This program 9 shall ensure that incarcerated individuals being released understand 10 their civic responsibility and know how to secure their right to vote 11 upon their release from a correctional facility. 12 2. The reentering citizens civic engagement program shall consist of a 13 rigorous curriculum, and participants shall be instructed on subjects 14 including, but not limited to, voting rights, governmental institutions, 15 current affairs, and simulations of voter registration, election, and 16 democratic processes. The program shall consist of three sessions that 17 are ninety minutes each which do not need to be taken consecutively. The 18 department shall offer the reentering citizens civic engagement program 19 to incarcerated individuals scheduled to be released within twelve 20 months, and each incarcerated individual shall enroll in the program one 21 to twelve months prior to such incarcerated individual's expected date 22 of release. The program shall be included in the standard exit process. 23 The department shall aim to include the program in conjunction with EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD05665-01-5 
 A. 4584 2 1 other pre-release procedures and movements. Delays in the program being 2 provided shall not cause delays in discharge. Incarcerated individuals 3 may not be prevented from attending the program due to staffing short- 4 ages, lockdowns, or to conflicts with family or legal visits, recre- 5 ational sessions, dining, work, class, or bathing schedules. In case of 6 conflict or staffing shortages, incarcerated individuals shall be given 7 full opportunity to attend a workshop at a later time. 8 3. The reentering citizens civic engagement program shall be taught by 9 peer educators who are incarcerated in correctional facilities and who 10 are specially trained by experienced peer educators and established 11 nonpartisan civic organizations. Established nonpartisan civic organiza- 12 tions may be assisted by area political science or civics educators at 13 colleges, universities, and high schools and by nonpartisan organiza- 14 tions providing reentry services. The nonpartisan civic organizations 15 shall provide adequate training to peer educators on matters including, 16 but not limited to, voting rights, governmental institutions, current 17 affairs, and simulations of voter registration, election, and democratic 18 processes, and shall provide periodic updates to program content and to 19 peer educators. 20 4. (a) Program content shall provide the following: 21 (i) nonpartisan information on voting history procedures; 22 (ii) nonpartisan definitions of local, state, and federal governmental 23 institutions and offices; and 24 (iii) examples and simulations of registration and voting processes, 25 and access to voter registration and voting processes for those individ- 26 uals who are eligible to vote. 27 (b) Established nonpartisan civic organizations shall provide periodic 28 updates to program content and peer educators. Updates shall reflect 29 major relevant changes to election laws and processes in New York. 30 (c) Program content shall be delivered in the following manners: 31 (i) verbally via peer educators; and 32 (ii) printed information packets. 33 (d) (i) Peer educators shall disseminate printed information for 34 voting in the incarcerated individual's county, including, but not 35 limited to, election authorities' addresses, all applicable internet 36 websites, and public contact information for all election authorities. 37 This information shall be compiled into a civics handbook. The handbook 38 shall also include key information condensed into a pocket information 39 card. 40 (ii) This information shall also be compiled electronically and shall 41 be posted on the department's website. 42 (iii) The commissioner shall ensure that the wardens or superinten- 43 dents of all correctional facilities visibly post this information on 44 all common areas of their respective correctional facilities. The 45 commissioner shall ensure that updated information is distributed in a 46 timely, visible, and accessible manner. 47 (e) The commissioner shall order, in a clearly visible area of each 48 parole office within the state, the posting of a notice stipulating 49 voter eligibility and that contains the current internet website address 50 and voter registration information provided by the board of elections 51 regarding voting rights for formerly incarcerated individuals released 52 from the physical custody of the department. 53 5. (a) The commissioner shall ensure that wardens or superintendents 54 and facility staff permit program sessions to be held, and that partic- 55 ipating incarcerated individuals are escorted to such sessions in a 56 consistent and timely manner. 
 A. 4584 3 1 (b) Compliance with this section shall be monitored by a report 2 published annually by the department, including numbers of incarcerated 3 individuals who enrolled in the program, numbers of incarcerated indi- 4 viduals who completed the program, and total numbers of incarcerated 5 individuals released. Data shall be disaggregated by correctional facil- 6 ity, release, or residence address of the formerly incarcerated individ- 7 ual, and other factors. 8 § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after 9 it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amend- 10 ment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implemen- 11 tation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and 12 completed on or before such effective date.