N.Y. COR Law § 136 — New York Code / Act COR / Article 6 / Section 136
Correctional education
Status: in_force

§ 136. Correctional education. 1. The objective of correctional\neducation in its broadest sense should be the socialization of the\nincarcerated individuals through varied impressional and expressional\nactivities, with emphasis on individual incarcerated individual needs.\nThe objective of this program shall be the return of these incarcerated\nindividuals to society with a more wholesome attitude toward living,\nwith a desire to conduct themselves as good citizens, and with the skill\nand knowledge which will give them a reasonable chance to maintain\nthemselves and their dependents through honest labor. To this end each\nincarcerated individual shall be given a program of education which, on\nthe basis of available data, seems most likely to further the process of\nsocialization and rehabilitation. Provided that, the commissioner, in\nconsultation with the commissioner of education, shall develop a\ncurricula for and require provision of an education program to all\nincarcerated individual, on a periodic basis, on the consequences and\nprevention of shaken baby syndrome which may include the viewing of a\nvideo presentation thereon. The time daily devoted to such education\nshall be such as is required for meeting the above objectives. The\ndirector of education, subject to the direction of the commissioner and\nafter consultation with the commissioner of education, shall develop the\ncurricula and the education programs that are required to meet the\nspecial needs of each correctional facility in the department. The\ncommissioner of education, in cooperation with the commissioner and the\ndirector of education, shall set up the educational requirements for the\ncertification of teachers in all such correctional facilities. Such\neducational requirements shall be sufficiently broad and comprehensive\nto include training in penology, sociology, psychology, philosophy, in\nthe special subjects to be taught, and in any other professional courses\nas may be deemed necessary by the responsible officers, and shall\ninclude training relating to the consequences and prevention of shaken\nbaby syndrome which may include the viewing of a video presentation\nthereon. No certificates for teaching service in the state institutions\nshall be issued unless a minimum of four years of training beyond the\nhigh school has been secured, or an acceptable equivalent. Existing\nrequirements for the certification of teachers in the institutions shall\ncontinue in force until changed pursuant to the provisions of this\nsection.\n  2. All incarcerated individuals admitted to the department serving a\ndeterminate term of imprisonment, or an indeterminate sentence of\nimprisonment other than a sentence of life imprisonment without parole,\nwho have been evaluated upon admission pursuant to subdivision one of\nsection one hundred thirty-seven of this article and are determined to\nbe capable of successfully completing the academic course work required\nfor the test assessing secondary completion, shall be provided with the\nopportunity to complete such course work at least two months prior to\nthe date on which such incarcerated individual may be paroled,\nconditionally released, released to post-release supervision pursuant to\nsection 70.40 of the penal law, or presumptively released, pursuant to\nsection eight hundred three of this chapter. Upon admission to the\ndepartment, such incarcerated individuals will be provided with written\nnotice that the test assessing secondary completion programs are\navailable for all incarcerated individuals who so apply.\n  3. The department shall ensure that academic education programs which\nprovide the appropriate curriculum and certified academic staff for the\ntest assessing secondary completion instruction are available at all\ncorrectional facilities housing incarcerated individuals who are\neligible as specified in subdivision two of this section. The department\nshall provide academic staff who are qualified to provide such\ninstruction and who are members of the competitive class of the civil\nservice of New York state. The department shall develop a plan for\nimplementation of the test assessing secondary completion requirement\nwhich shall be presented to the assembly standing committee on\ncorrection and the senate standing committee on crime victims, crime and\ncorrection on or before April first, two thousand nineteen.\n