FOIL-AO-15936

April 26, 2006

 

The staff of the Committee on Open Government is authorized to issue advisory opinions. The ensuing staff advisory opinion is based solely upon the information presented in your correspondence.

Dear

I have received your letter in which you asked how you may obtain your presentence report. You also requested information concerning new legislation and court decisions that deal with Prisoners’ Legal Services and sentencing guidelines.

In this regard, first, the Committee on Open Government is authorized to provide advice concerning access to government information, primarily under the state’s Freedom of Information Law. This office does not maintain information concerning the legislation and court decisions in which you are interested. It is suggested that you contact your facility librarian in an effort to obtain that information.

Second, although the Freedom of Information Law provides broad rights of access to records, the first ground for denial, §87(2)(a), states that an agency may withhold records or portions thereof that "...are specifically exempted from disclosure by state or federal statute..." Relevant under the circumstances is §390.50 of the Criminal Procedure Law, which, in my opinion represents the exclusive procedure concerning access to pre-sentence reports.

Section 390.50(1) of the Criminal Procedure Law states that:

"Any pre-sentence report or memorandum submitted to the court pursuant to this article and any medical, psychiatric or social agency report or other information gathered for the court by a probation department, or submitted directly to the court, in connection with the question of sentence is confidential and may not be made available to any person or public or private agency except where specifically required or permitted by statute or upon specific authorization of the court. For purposes of this section, any report, memorandum or other information forwarded to a probation department within this state is governed by the same rules of confidentiality. Any person, public or private agency receiving such material must retain it under the same conditions of confidentiality as apply to the probation department that made it available."

In addition, subdivision (2) of §390.50 states in part that: "The pre-sentence report shall be made available by the court for examination and copying in connection with any appeal in the case..."

It was also confirmed that "Criminal Procedure Law Sec. 390.50 is the exclusive procedure concerning access to such reports, as they are confidential and specifically exempted from disclosure pursuant to State and Federal Freedom of Information Laws. Petitioner...must make a proper application to the Court which sentenced him" (Matter of Roper v. Carway, Supreme Court, New York County, NYLJ, August 17, 2004).

In view of the foregoing, I believe that a pre-sentence report may be made available only upon the order of a court, and only under the circumstances described in §390.50 of the Criminal Procedure Law. It is suggested that you review that statute.

I hope that I have been of assistance.

Sincerely,

ROBERT J. FREEMAN
Executive Director

 

BY: Janet M. Mercer
Administrative Professional

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