Provides for the creation and maintenance of digital records for each incarcerated individual which includes all medical records, including but not limited to mental health records and results of drug or alcohol tests, work records and evaluations, conduct records and programming records.
A04958 would require the Commissioner of Corrections to adopt rules creating and maintaining a digital record for each incarcerated individual in New York State correctional facilities. The record would consolidate a broad set of information, including medical records, mental health records, drug and alcohol test results, work records, evaluations, conduct records, and programming records. Facility superintendents would be responsible for transmitting these records to the department, and the incarcerated individual would have access to their own digital record.
The bill is primarily an administrative and records-management measure, aimed at standardizing and centralizing inmate information across the state correctional system. It does not create new criminal penalties or change sentencing law, but it would amend the Correction Law to impose a new statewide recordkeeping duty on the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision and on facility superintendents. By requiring digital access for incarcerated individuals, the bill also affects how correctional records are stored, shared, and reviewed.
If enacted, the bill would amend section 112 of the Correction Law to require DOCCS to establish and maintain a digital record system for each incarcerated person. This would affect correctional facilities statewide by mandating the transmission of medical, mental health, testing, work, conduct, and programming records into a centralized digital format. The measure would likely require new administrative procedures, data management systems, and privacy/access protocols, while giving incarcerated individuals direct access to their own records.
The available record shows no committee transcript or vote history, so there is no documented debate or recorded opposition in the materials provided. Based on the bill text alone, the measure appears to be framed as a modernization and transparency initiative, with an emphasis on record access and continuity of information. The sponsor list suggests support from multiple Assembly members, but the overall sentiment from formal proceedings cannot be determined from the available context.
No specific points of contention are documented in the provided materials. Potential areas of concern, based on the bill’s subject matter, could include privacy, confidentiality of medical and mental health information, data security, implementation costs, and the scope of incarcerated individuals’ access to sensitive records. However, because there are no transcripts or votes included, it is not possible to attribute these concerns to any particular legislator, committee member, or stakeholder.