State Sen. George Borrello, R-Sunset Bay, speaks against a bill that would require prisons allow in-person visitation.

Legislation that would increase physical visitation for jail and prison inmates is again waiting on approval in the state Assembly as this year’s legislative session winds down.

Versions of the bill have been kicking around the state Senate since the 2017-18 session, with state senators passing the bill three times since 2019. In 2017 it passed the Assembly, but was not passed in the Senate. Senate approval this year was by a 39-18 vote, largely along party lines.

Sen. Luis Sepulveda, D-Bronx, said there is nothing in state law that requires in-person visitation while citing research that incarcerated individuals who receive visits from family, friends and volunteers are less likely to reoffend when they are eventually released. Sepulveda said private equity firms are benefitting from video conferencing between inmates and their families and friends amidst a push to use technology instead of face-to-face visits.

“I could tell you that it’s a crying shame that if this is the trend that this state is going to go towards that we should stop it immediately,” Sepulveda said on the Senate floor. “Children who have incarcerated parents, family members who have incarcerated family members, the priority should be that they have face-to-face visits with those that are incarcerated. Look at the information that we have. It’s much better for all involved. It’s much better for society because those that are incarcerated, the recidivism rate is even lower when they have this standing relationship with their families. So I encourage my colleagues to vote in the affirmative. This is a lot more critical than you may think first meets the eye. I encourage my colleagues to look at the information, look at the research so they can see that if we go on this trend, we’re going backwards or creating a worse situation, especially for children who have incarcerated parents.”

S.3318 would ensure video visitation doesn’t take the place of in-person visiting and calls for a policy to be created to facilitate visitations during high peak times and requires facilities offer visiting hours during evenings and weekends.

Sen. George Borrello, R-Sunset Bay, was among the votes against S.3318. Borrello said state prisons have become more violent places because of state legislation. That includes multiple assaults of corrections officers in the North Collins Correctional Facility over the past few years.

“We have really not been doing the job we’re supposed to, protecting the employees of the state government by making our prisons a safer place for them and, by the way, for those who are incarcerated there,” Borrello said. “So this bill is a step in the wrong direction. We’ve heard from many that passing contraband, including weapons, often happens with these direct contacts. While we do not wish to deny parents the ability to embrace their children, there’s a simple solution to that – don’t go to prison in the first place. Be a good parent. That’s the solution.”