2023 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.