Prisoners Issues Archives - Page 3 of 4 - Pappalardo & Pappalardo LLP

HALT – New York Will Reform Its Use of Solitary Confinement

By Jill K. Sanders, Esq. In New York, legislators have been working for years to pass the Humane Alternatives to Long-Term Solitary Confinement Act (“the HALT Act”). Finally, the legislation has be...

Veterans Treatment Courts in New York State

By Jill K. Sanders, Esq. Veterans are people who served the United State in active military, naval, or air service. In New York alone, there are 700,000 vets. In general, they are less likely to co...

SARA Residency Restriction Mis-Applied to Prisoners in DOCCS Custody

By Jill K. Sanders, Esq. Imagine you’ve been told you have a date on which you'll be released from prison. However, that day comes and goes, and you’re still in prison. Why? Because the prison won’...

Revocation of Parole in New York State

By Jill K. Sanders, Esq. When on parole or post-release supervision (“PRS”), a person is at liberty after serving time in prison. The parolee is under the supervision of a parole officer (“P.O.”) a...

Domestic Abuse Survivors to Receive More Consideration At Sentencing

By Jill K. Sanders, Esq. On May 14, New York’s Governor Andrew Cuomo signed into law the Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act (DVSJA). The law would, among other measures, give judges more discr...

Calls Recorded By Jails Can Be Used By Prosecutors

By Jill K. Sanders, Esq. If you’ve ever received calls from someone in jail or prison, you’ve likely heard a recording prior to accepting the call. And it usually states that the phone call will be...

Additional Reforms in the NY Criminal Justice System

By Jill K. Sanders, Esq. As discussed in last week's blog, the legislature recently passed sweeping bail and discovery reforms. There are also several other reforms taking place. Here, we discuss a...

Civil Commitment of Registered Sex Offenders

By Jill K. Sanders, Esq. In New York, some persons who have committed sex offenses are considered by the state to be too dangerous to live the community. This is even after they’ve served the priso...

Electronic Monitoring and Other Forms of “e-Carceration”

By Jill K. Sanders, Esq. In a move to end mass incarceration, “e-carceration” is on the rise. E-carceration refers to different types of technology to gather information to constrain the liberty of...

Parole Board Hearings in New York

By Jill K. Sanders, Esq. If you have a loved one in prison, you may often think about if there is any way for him/her to be released from prison early. One way for your loved one to get home sooner...

Kendra’s Law – Getting Mental Health Treatment for Those Leaving Prison

By Jill K. Sanders, Esq. Not everyone with a serious mental illness needs to be committed to a psychiatric facility. In fact, many (if not most) people with serious mental illness can function well...

Keeping In Touch With Imprisoned Loved Ones

While maintaining contact with a loved one in prison can be difficult and emotionally taxing, staying connected can make a huge difference in their life. Prisons are impersonal and can often strip ind...

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