Int. No. 1334-A
By Council Members Ampry-Samuel, Rosenthal, Rivera, Dromm, Kallos, Cumbo, Levin and Ayala
A Local Law to amend the New York city charter, in relation to requiring the board of correction to report on the department of correction’s grievance process
Be it enacted by the Council as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision f of section 626 of the New York city charter, as amended by local law number 102 for the year 1977, is amended to read as follows:
f. The board shall establish procedures for the hearing of grievances, complaints or
requests for assistance (1) by or on behalf of any person held or confined under the jurisdiction of the department or (2) by any employee of the department. [The board, or by written designation, a member of the board or the executive director, may conduct hearings, or study or investigate any matter within the jurisdiction of the department, and the board may make recommendations and submit reports of its findings to the appropriate authorities.] Starting July 1, 2021, the board shall issue a report, at least every three years, on issues related to the department’s grievance process. Such report shall incorporate direct feedback from incarcerated individuals and proposed recommendations for relevant improvements, and shall include a section of recommendations on how to improve the grievance process for vulnerable populations, including incarcerated individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, and gender nonconforming. Such report shall be submitted to the council and posted on the board’s website.
§ 2. Section 626 of the New York city charter is amended by adding a new subdivision h to read as follows:
h. The board, or by written designation, a member of the board or the executive director, may conduct hearings, or study or investigate any matter within the jurisdiction of the department, and the board may make recommendations and submit reports of its findings to the appropriate authorities.
§ 3. This local law takes effect on the same date that a local law amending the administrative code of the city of New York, relating to requiring the department of correction to make the grievance process more efficient, as proposed in introduction number 1340 for the year 2019, takes effect.
MKW/AS
LS #7318
4/26/2019