New York Chief Judge Rowan Wilson is pictured in 2023 during his swearing-in ceremony.

Judges serving in criminal and family courts will be required to visit a prison, jail or other detention starting in January 2028.

The rule was announced recently by the state Unified Court System under rules being implemented by Judge Rowan Masters, the state’s chief judge. The rule would make New York the first state in the nation to mandate immersive yearly visits by all trial court judges responsible for sentencing or detention decisions.

“This rule keeps judges better connected to what transpires after sentencing. It deepens a judge’s firsthand understanding of prison conditions and the broad impact of incarceration on individuals, families, and communities, as well as the opportunities available during incarceration,” said Chief Judge Rowan D. Wilson. “The revised rule embodies the principle that judges are not distant arbiters but engaged stewards of justice, whose thoughtful determinations are grounded in reality. By doing so, it promotes confidence in the judiciary, not merely in those who are incarcerated or their families, but also in the public at large. Justice may be depicted as blind but should not blind itself to reality.”

Under the new Part 17, judicial visits to facilities will include opportunities for meaningful time in key areas such as intake, housing, work education, recreation, visitation, dining, and medical and mental health facilities. Judges will also have an opportunity to meet with incarcerated individuals, employees, administrators, and service providers. Additionally, visits will rotate among facility types, including state prisons, local jails, and youth and women’s facilities — in accordance with judicial assignments, as delineated in the amended rules — and, to the extent practicable, across regions of the State.

“The new Part 17 seeks to create an impactful program of engagement between judges and incarcerated individuals, as well as the employees, administrators, and service providers working in New York’s jails and prisons,” said Joseph A. Zayas, state chief administrative judge . “Through consistent, immersive visits, judges will be kept abreast of facility conditions and challenges and, in turn, promote transparency and public trust in our courts and criminal justice system.”

The proposal for a new Part 17 was circulated for public comment in September 2025. Nearly 150 comments were received from a wide variety of individuals and organizations, including present and former judges, medical professionals, academics, currently and formerly incarcerated individuals and organizations advocating for them, defense counsel, prosecutors, other practicing attorneys, correctional facility professionals, clergy, social work and mental health professionals and international experts. The Administrative Board of the Courts, which comprises Wilson and the four presiding justices of the New York State Supreme Court’s Appellate Division, approved the amendments to Part 17 in May 2026, which were then approved by the Court of Appeals and promulgated. The new Part 17 will take effect January 1, 2028, to allow sufficient time for successful implementation, which will include a new judicial orientation and education program and significant logistical planning. The court system will establish an advisory task force, bringing together trial court judges, judicial associations, court administrators, correctional and detention facility representatives, and experts from relevant fields related to corrections and the rights of incarcerated persons.