New York Laws
Article 26 - Temporary Release Programs for State Correctional Institutions
851 - Definitions.

(a) to visit his or her spouse, child, brother, sister, grandchild,
parent, grandparent or ancestral aunt or uncle during his or her last
illness if death appears to be imminent;
(b) to attend the funeral of such individual;
(c) to undergo surgery or to receive medical or dental treatment not
available in the correctional institution only if deemed absolutely
necessary to the health and well-being of the incarcerated individual
and whose approval is granted by the commissioner or his or her
designated representative.
7. "Educational leave" means a privilege granted to an eligible
incarcerated individual to leave the premises of an institution for a
period not exceeding fourteen hours in any day for the purpose of
education or vocational training, or for any matter necessary to the
furtherance of any such purposes.
8. "Industrial training leave" means a privilege granted to an
eligible incarcerated individual to leave the premises of an institution
for a period not exceeding fourteen hours in any day for the purpose of
participating in an industrial training program, or for any matter
necessary to the furtherance of any such purpose.
9. "Temporary release program" means a "work release program," a
"furlough program," a "community services program," an "industrial
training leave," an "educational leave," or a "leave of absence."
10. "Extended bounds of confinement" means the area in which an
incarcerated individual participating in a temporary release program may
travel, the routes he or she is permitted to use, the places he or she
is authorized to visit, and the hours, days, or specially defined period
during which he or she is permitted to be absent from the premises of
the institution.
11. "Temporary release committee" means the body of persons, which may
include members of the public, appointed pursuant to regulations
promulgated by the commissioner to serve at the pleasure of the
commissioner for the purpose of formulating, modifying and revoking
temporary release programs at an institution.
12. "Superintendent" means the person in charge of an institution, by
whatever title he or she may be known.
* NB Effective until September 1, 2025

* § 851. Definitions. As used in this article the following terms have
the following meanings:
1. "Institution" means any institution under the jurisdiction of the
state department of corrections and community supervision.
2. "Eligible incarcerated individual" means: a person confined in an
institution who is eligible for release on parole or who will become
eligible for release on parole or conditional release within two years.
Provided, that a person under a determinate sentence as a second felony
drug offender for a class B felony offense defined in article two
hundred twenty of the penal law, who was sentenced pursuant to section
70.70 of such law, shall not be eligible to participate in a temporary
release program until the time served under imprisonment for his or her
determinate sentence, including any jail time credited pursuant to the
provisions of article seventy of the penal law, shall be at least
eighteen months. In the case of a person serving an indeterminate
sentence of imprisonment imposed pursuant to the penal law in effect
after September one, nineteen hundred sixty-seven, for the purposes of
this article parole eligibility shall be upon the expiration of the
minimum period of imprisonment fixed by the court or where the court has
not fixed any period, after service of the minimum period fixed by the
state board of parole. If an incarcerated individual is denied release
on parole, such incarcerated individual shall not be deemed an eligible
incarcerated individual until he or she is within two years of his or
her next scheduled appearance before the state parole board. In any case
where an incarcerated individual is denied release on parole while
participating in a temporary release program, the department shall
review the status of the incarcerated individual to determine if
continued placement in the program is appropriate. No person convicted
of any escape or absconding offense defined in article two hundred five
of the penal law shall be eligible for temporary release. Nor shall any
person under sentence for any sex offense defined in article one hundred
thirty of the penal law be eligible to participate in a community
services program as defined in subdivision five of this section.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, no person who is an otherwise eligible
incarcerated individual who is under sentence for a crime involving: (a)
infliction of serious physical injury upon another as defined in the
penal law, (b) a sex offense involving forcible compulsion, or (c) any
other offense involving the use or threatened use of a deadly weapon may
participate in a temporary release program without the written approval
of the commissioner. The commissioner shall promulgate regulations
giving direction to the temporary release committee at each institution
in order to aid such committees in carrying out this mandate.
The governor, by executive order, may exclude or limit the
participation of any class of otherwise eligible incarcerated
individuals from participation in a temporary release program. Nothing
in this paragraph shall be construed to affect either the validity of
any executive order previously issued limiting the participation of
otherwise eligible incarcerated individuals in such program or the
authority of the commissioner to impose appropriate regulations limiting
such participation.
3. "Work release program" means a program under which eligible
incarcerated individuals may be granted the privilege of leaving the
premises of an institution for a period not exceeding fourteen hours in
any day for the purpose of on-the-job training or employment, or for any
matter necessary to the furtherance of any such purposes. No person
shall be released into a work release program unless prior to release
such person has a reasonable assurance of a job training program or
employment. If after release, such person ceases to be employed or

ceases to participate in the training program, the incarcerated
individual's privilege to participate in such work release program may
be revoked in accordance with rules and regulations promulgated by the
commissioner.
4. "Furlough program" means a program under which eligible
incarcerated individuals may be granted the privilege of leaving the
premises of an institution for a period not exceeding seven days for the
purpose of seeking employment, maintaining family ties, solving family
problems, seeking post-release housing, attending a short-term
educational or vocational training course, or for any matter necessary
to the furtherance of any such purposes.
5. "Community services program" means a program under which eligible
incarcerated individuals may be granted the privilege of leaving the
premises of an institution for a period not exceeding fourteen hours in
any day for the purpose of participation in religious services,
volunteer work, or athletic events, or for any matter necessary to the
furtherance of any such purposes.
6. "Leave of absence" means a privilege granted to an incarcerated
individual, who need not be an "eligible incarcerated individual," to
leave the premises of an institution for the period of time necessary:
(a) to visit his or her spouse, child, brother, sister, grandchild,
parent, grandparent or ancestral aunt or uncle during his or her last
illness if death appears to be imminent;
(b) to attend the funeral of such individual;
(c) to undergo surgery or to receive medical or dental treatment not
available in the correctional institution only if deemed absolutely
necessary to the health and well-being of the incarcerated individual
and whose approval is granted by the commissioner or his or her
designated representative.
7. "Educational leave" means a privilege granted to an eligible
incarcerated individual to leave the premises of an institution for a
period not exceeding fourteen hours in any day for the purpose of
education or vocational training, or for any matter necessary to the
furtherance of any such purposes.
8. "Industrial training leave" means a privilege granted to an
eligible incarcerated individual to leave the premises of an institution
for a period not exceeding fourteen hours in any day for the purpose of
participating in an industrial training program, or for any matter
necessary to the furtherance of any such purpose.
9. "Temporary release program" means a "work release program," a
"furlough program," a "community services program," an "industrial
training leave," an "educational leave," or a "leave of absence."
10. "Extended bounds of confinement" means the area in which an
incarcerated individual participating in a temporary release program may
travel, the routes he or she is permitted to use, the places he or she
is authorized to visit, and the hours, days, or specially defined period
during which he or she is permitted to be absent from the premises of
the institution.
11. "Temporary release committee" means the body of persons, which may
include members of the public, appointed pursuant to regulations
promulgated by the commissioner to serve at the pleasure of the
commissioner for the purpose of formulating, modifying and revoking
temporary release programs at an institution.
12. "Superintendent" means the person in charge of an institution, by
whatever title he or she may be known.
* NB Effective September 1, 2025 until the expiration of §42 of ch.
60/1994, §10 of ch. 339/1972 and §3 of ch. 554/1986

* § 851. Definitions. As used in this article the following terms have
the following meanings:
1. "Institution" means any institution under the jurisdiction of the
state department of corrections and community supervision.
2. "Eligible incarcerated individual" means a person confined in an
institution where a work release program has been established who is
eligible for release on parole or who will become eligible for release
on parole within one year.
3. "Work release program" means a program under which eligible
incarcerated individual may be granted the privilege of leaving the
premises of an institution for the purpose of education, on-the-job
training or employment.
4. "Extended bounds of confinement" means the area in which an
incarcerated individual participating in a work release program may
travel, the routes he or she is permitted to use, the places he or she
is authorized to visit, and the hours, not exceeding fourteen hours in
any day, he or she is permitted to be absent from the premises of the
institution.
5. "Work release committee" means the body of persons, which may
include members of the public, appointed pursuant to regulations
promulgated by the commissioner for the purpose of formulating,
modifying and revoking work release programs at an institution.
6. "Warden" means the person in charge of an institution, by whatever
title he may be known.
* NB Effective only upon the expiration of §42 of ch. 60/1994, §10 of
ch. 339/1972 and §3 of ch. 554/1986