NY Corr L § 136 (2021)
2021 New York Laws COR - Correction Article 6 - Management of Correctional Facilities 136 - Correctional Education.

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