NCJ Number
80299
Date Published
Unknown
Length
34 pages
Annotation
This annual report describes the Correctional Association of New York's activities in 1979 and includes a summary of their report on the costs of the postconviction stages of criminal justice to the taxpayer as well as a discussion of the proposal (which was rejected by New York City) to transfer Rikers Island House of Detention to the State.
Abstract
The publication of a study on the costs of prison, parole, and probation in New York State in conjunction with the Citizens' Inquiry on Parole and Criminal Justice was a major accomplishment of 1979. This investigation revealed that citizens spend $15,000 to keep a single prisoner in a State prison for 1 year and over $25,000 in New York City and county jails. Despite the high cost of corrections, no single State office monitors spending by these agencies. Reactions to the report from public officials, citizens' organizations, and criminal justice planners are described, followed by a summary of its findings and recommendations. A review of negotiations between New York City and the State over leasing the city's Riker's Island prison complex to the State and building new detention facilities in the boroughs covers the association's role in supporting the plan and factors which led to its rejection by the city in 1980. Although the city cited excessive costs as the basis for its opposition, objections to the plan were based largely on false assumptions and inaccurate information. An association committee made several visits to Rikers Island to study the access problems caused by its isolated location. A summary of the committee's findings and recommendations to improve conditions are provided. The association's small direct services program helped 192 individuals -- prisoners' families, ex-offenders, and inmates. Case studies of an ex-offender and the wife of an inmate demonstrate the effectiveness of financial assistance and counseling offered by the association. The report lists visits made to correctional institutions by association members in 1979 and provides information on the association's board members and financial position. Footnotes and tables are supplied. See NCJ 80264-80265 for the 1977-78 reports.