Welcome to the New York Inmate Family Council

Inmate Family Council of New York, Inc., is a non-profit organization dedicated to giving inmate family members a voice with the Department of Correctional Services. Improving relations with the Department will allow Family members to assist the Department in the rehabilitation of our loved ones. Inmate Family Council and Inmate Family Committees can offer ideas and suggestions relative to the correctional programming that affects all involved.

A proposal has recently been submitted to the Commissioner of the Department of Correctional Services and his subordinates, requesting approval for the creation of an Inmate Family Committee at each of the Department's correctional facilities.

An Inmate Family Committee is made up of inmate family members, appointed by the Superintendent. It is proposed that the committee meet monthly at the facility, with the Superintendent and chosen staff members. Meetings will address issues which affect inmate families and to suggest ideas for family-related programs and activities at the facility.

Inmate Family Council requests that you voice your support of the proposal. For your convenience, a PDF copy of the proposal on CD-ROM has been enclosed with this letter. We sincerely hope that you will take the time to review it.

We believe that this is such a beneficial idea for both the Department of Corrections and inmate family members that we would eventually like to see a Legislative Resolution passed supporting the Inmate Family Committees and Inmate Family Council. This could ultimately lead to regulations enacted under Title 7 of the New York Code, Rules, and Regulations.

The State of California has a similar program in many of its correctional facilities and reports that this program is very beneficial for their correctional facilities. I ask you to note that the California Legislature has enacted regulations in that State supporting their version of the Inmate Family Committees.

As Inmate Family Committees work with the Superintendent and staff on a facility level, Inmate Family Council will work to suggest ideas about inmate family members and programs that occur on a Department-wide or multiple-facility basis. We will serve as the voice of the individual Inmate Family Committees when communicating with the Commissioner and his/her staff. The Inmate Family Council is hoping to be recognized by the Department of Correctional Services in the capacity proposed.

As you read the proposal you will see the benefits that are presented. We hope that you will recommend to the Commissioner that he agree to work with the Inmate Family Council.

Inmate family members exist in every constituency within this State. We are voters, taxpayers, mothers, fathers, wives, husbands, and everything in between. Our loved ones will come home to us one day, and we all pray that these men and women will be successfully rehabilitated. We have ideas about programs that will help rebuild families and keep family ties strong. When families are supported, inmates are more likely to become productive members of society when released.

We must have a voice to bring forth these ideas at the individual facilities and with the Department as a whole. The proposal, if approved by the Commissioner, will give us that voice. With your support and that of your organization, Inmate Family Council can be a valuable asset to the Department of Correctional Services and help to meet their goal of rehabilitating inmates in their custody.