Proposed Int. No. 852-A
By Council Members Crowley, Eugene and Mendez
A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to mandating that correction officers escort inmates to medical visits in a timely fashion.
Be it enacted by the Council as follows:
Section 1. Chapter 1 of Title 9 of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended by adding a new section 9-141 to read as follows:
§ 9-141 Medical escorts. a. Definitions. As used in this section, the following terms have the following meanings:
Sick call. The term “sick call” means any procedure utilized by the department in which inmates gain to access medical facilities and personnel.
b. The department shall hold sick call daily, excluding weekends and city holidays, for every housing unit. Any inmate who requests medical treatment shall have access to such treatment within 24 hours of their request.
c. The department shall ensure that appropriate medical personnel assess every inmate within two hours of such inmate arriving at medical facilities.
d. All inmates who are recommended by medical staff for specialty or follow-up appointments, at any location, shall be timely notified of and escorted or transported to such appointments.
e. The department shall ensure that all inmate requests for emergency medical or dental attention are responded to promptly by medical personnel, which shall include a personal encounter between the inmate requesting attention and appropriate medical personnel.
f. At each correctional facility and at all times, the department shall provide sufficient escorts and related staff, and ensure that sufficient qualified medical personnel are provided, to carry out the requirements of subdivisions a-e of this section.
§ 2. This local law takes effect 60 days after it becomes law.
LS #5226
BC
9/17/2015