State Correction Commission Falling Short In Tracking State Prisons

The State Correction Commission is falling short in tracking problems or analyzing incidents and inmate complaints at the 561 correctional facilities and jails across the state.

That's according to an audit from State Comptroller Thomas DINapoli.

DiNapoli says the commission needs to improve its tracking of data and to identify patterns or trends that may indicate problems at those facilities

The audit also found the commission is not routinely inspecting the state's 54 prisons.

“The State Commission of Correction is not adequately monitoring what's happening in our prisons," DiNapoli said. “The commission needs to improve its tracking of data and to identify patterns or trends that merit attention to protect the rights and safety of inmates and correctional staff. The new data system it is building falls far short of helping them identify problems and needs to be addressed. Commission officials say they plan to improve their agency’s performance, and they must given the Executive's proposal to improve the safety of New York’s correctional facilities.”

DiNapoli made a number of recommendations and commission officials have taken steps to implement them.