NYC Council · Int 0132-2026 · Committee

The terms “inmate,” “prisoner,” and “incarcerated individual” and other similar terminology as used therein.

Introduced

Moved

Reached a final decision

Introduced Jan 29, 2026

Derived from the official record below.

Officially: “A Local Law to amend the New York city charter, the administrative code of the city of New York, the New York city plumbing code, and the New York city building code, in relation to the terms “inmate,” “prisoner,” and “incarcerated individual” and other similar terminology as used therein” Read the full text

Criminal Justice

What it does

This bill would replace the terms “inmate” and “prisoner,” as well as “incarcerated individual,” with person-first language (PFL) such as “persons incarcerated” and “persons in custody” throughout the City Charter, the Administrative Code, the Plumbing Code, and the Building Code. PFL is a linguistic prescription that emphasizes personhood over status-saturated identifiers. This law would seek to eliminate conscious and subconscious dehumanization associated with the terms “inmate” and “prisoner.” Notably, this is a stylistic modification that does not impact the substance of modified sections.

Summary written by City Council staff, from the official record. Plain-language AI rewrite with cited sections coming. Not legal advice.

Where it is

Introduced by Council · Jan 29, 2026

Referred to Comm by Council · Jan 29, 2026 · the latest recorded action

Who decides next

This bill sits with the Criminal Justice committee. These members decide whether it ever reaches a vote; 99% of bills a committee approves become law.

Selvena N. Brooks-Powers · chair Frank Morano Gale A. Brewer Mercedes Narcisse Oswald J. Feliz Tiffany L. Cabán Yusef Salaam

This committee’s full record