Governor Signs Legislation To Replace The Word "Inmate"

[TTL News 319]

Governor Kathy Hochul today signed new legislation that the governor's office says will "reduce harmful stigma" against incarcerated people by correcting outdated terminology used to refer to incarcerated individuals in state law.

Legislation (A.9273/S.8216) replaces instances of the word "inmate" in state law with "incarcerated individual". Individuals impacted by the criminal justice system have long noted that terms such as felon, inmate, prisoner, and convict dehumanize individuals and perpetuate the idea that incarcerated people should be permanently demonized and stigmatized. This language change within state law will reduce stigma against people involved in the criminal justice system and therefore eliminate barriers to opportunities that they face. Previous legislation covered all instances of state law but did not cover active pieces of legislation in 2021 that were signed into law and included the term "inmate".

"Language matters,"State Senator Gustavo Rivera said. "I am proud that my bill to replace all references of the word inmate with incarcerated individual in New York State law has been signed today by Governor Hochul. For too long, we as a society have thought of incarcerated individuals as less than people. The use of the word "inmate" further dehumanizes and demoralizes them. This is another concrete step our State is taking to make our criminal justice system one that focuses on rehabilitation, rather than relying solely on punishment."

[Chris 2,238]

[MsKreed 1,204]

WTF??? This was already a thing that her predecessor signed before she took office:

Quote

 

BY NICK REISMAN CITY OF ALBANY

PUBLISHED 5:37 AM ET AUG. 03, 2021

People in prison in New York will no longer be referred to as "inmates" in state law under a measure approved Monday by Gov. Andrew Cuomo. 

The bill approved by the governor addresses what has been a growing concern for criminal justice advocates in the state: The use of the word "inmate" can have a dehumanizing effect for the people incarcerated. 

The measure, sponsored by Assemblyman Jeff Aubry and Sen. Gustavo Rivera, replaces "inmate" with "incarcerated individual" or "incarcerated individuals." It also comes as New York over the last decade has reassessed the role of prisons. 

"Penological terms such as felon, inmate, prisoner, offender, and convict have long been noted by many impacted by the criminal legal system as dehumanizing, degrading, and as importing the idea that incarcerated people should be permanently demonized and stigmatized," the bill's sponsors wrote. "Such words are often used to discriminate against people who are or have been involved in the criminal legal system."

 

Fun fact.....until the 1990s they were referred to as "convicted felons" ('cons' for short).....which was in fact perfectly objective because they have, indeed, been convicted of a felony. 

Papa Cuomo decided to call them inmates.....to "reduce harmful stigma"

Then about 10 years ago..... it was decided that "inmate" was hurtful, so DOCCS was ordered to rebrand them as "offenders"....to "reduce harmful stigma". That didn't work out so well, because, to inmates, the term "offender" carried a "harmful stigma" that conjured up a correlation to "sex offender". So we went back to "inmate" until Cuomo signed the bill (last year) to call them "incarcerated individuals."

 

[Chris 2,238]

I take my meme back then. Unless we can interpret it to mean Mario? 😂

[Hal 343]

Who put forth the Law nor how many freaking snowflakes object to the terms . An inmate is an inmate , a con is a convict who has been convicted . Call them what you will ! They are Offenders , they have committed an offense , in my eyes they are offensive . All these new “ terms” not just this foolish waste of time but all this new “ woke “ bullshit is just that ! 
Every damned new law that comes out of Albany is skewed in favor of criminals , this Sickens me no end !! 

[Adam 380]

aside from "STFU"

this type of "legislating" is why NY and the Nation are in the shape they are.....

[Chris 2,238]

The nice thing about "laws" like this is, you can just ignore them. 

[Chris 2,238]