N.Y. Correction Law § 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.