Crime & Safety

Legislation Seeks to Protect Domestic Abuse Victims

New law would require victims and their families to be notified when an inmate is conditionally released.

The New York State Senate passed a bill, cosponsored by Tuesday that says if an inmate who was convicted of a crime against someone in your family or household is released from prison, the parole board must notify you.

According to bill S1966A-2011 on the NYS website, the bill was created with particular attention to victims of domestic violence. Now, when an inmate who was convicted of domestic violence is to be "conditionally released," the victim in the case and their family members must be notified. That notice will sometimes require that the victim be placed in a domestic violence shelter for protection when the inmate is released.

What do you think of this bill? Is it a good idea to notify victims' families when an inmate is released? Are there instances where this might not be a good idea or is it great all around?

Vote in the poll below and tell us your thoughts in the comments.


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