News / FJP Releases
FJP Applauds New York Rule Requiring Judges to Visit Correctional Facilities
July 1, 2026 (New York, NY) — Fair and Just Prosecution (FJP) applauds the New York Unified Court System’s adoption of a rule requiring judges serving in criminal and family courts to conduct an annual, immersive visit to a prison, jail, or other detention facility starting January 1, 2028. FJP submitted a comment (page 234) in support of the rule change.
This rule enables judges to make more informed decisions by providing firsthand knowledge of correctional facilities and the realities for incarcerated people. Judicial visits to correctional facilities deepen understanding of people who are incarcerated, enhance transparency within these facilities, and encourage systemic reforms that strengthen the rehabilitative goals of incarceration.
“Judges make decisions every day that profoundly shape people’s lives, and those decisions should be informed by a clear understanding of what incarceration actually entails,” said FJP Executive Director Aramis Donell Ayala. “New York’s rule change is a meaningful step forward. Requiring judges to spend time in correctional facilities provides valuable insight on the consequences of incarceration. Justice is strongest when it is informed by both the law and the people whose lives are impacted.”
This rule follows broader efforts to encourage justice system leaders and policymakers to visit correctional facilities, including a prison visit pledge signed by 65 elected prosecutors from across the country.