Syndication: Abilene
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — A new bill signed into law in New York will require incarcerated parents be housed in prisons closest to the home of their children.
More than 100,000 children in the state have at least one parent in state prison. In many cases they are serving time in facilities several hours away from their families. In-person visitation lowers recidivism rates and is considered a critical factor in whether a family will reunite after a prisoner is released.
“Children should not be deprived of the opportunity to have a relationship with their parents because of incarceration,” said State Senator Velmanette Montgomery, a Brooklyn Democrat who sponsored the bill.
In-person visitation lowers recidivism rates and is considered a critical factor in whether a family reunites after a prisoner is released, Assemblywoman Nily Rozic, a Queens Democrat, said in announcing the legislation.
Between cost and distance, visiting incarcerated loved ones is not easy — but years of advocacy led us to this moment: the #ProximityBill has been signed!
This new law will help reduce the strain of separation and maintain family ties, often critical to successful re-entry. pic.twitter.com/lk843eNFvz
— Nily Rozic 李羅莎 (@nily) December 24, 2020
The bill passed both houses of the legislature with bipartisan support.
