New York Department of Corrections and Community Supervision violates Freedom of Information Law

New York Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, same as any other New York agency, is subject to Freedom of Information Law (FOIL).

The recognizes that on its own website - kind of:

Why "kind of"?

Because the Department violates 2 provisions of FOIL by:

1. requesting too much contact information about the inquirer (FOIL is subject to requests by "persons", and all information that an agency may request is to ascertain that the person inquiring is a "person" and not a computer robot, and as to where to send the requested information.  New York DOCCS, instead, demands to know:
1. your first name;
2. your last name
3. your e-mail address - which will be already sufficient for information to be provided, but no, NYS DOCCS further requires
4. your "street address" (not P.O. Box!), city, state and zip code.
2. restricting FOIL requests to "175 words or less" - there is no such restriction in the law.

Of course, these restrictions can be completely avoided by filing FOIL requests by e-mail - then you will be disclosing only your name (if at all, e-mails can be registered under a nickname) and your e-mail address, nothing else, when making a FOIL request.

Here is the e-mail address of NYS Department of Corrections and Community Service to send FOIL to:

DOCCSFOILUnit@doccs.ny.gov

NYS DOCCS not only is playing games in how FOIL requests can be made, but is also playing games in answering FOIL requests.

I am currently engaged in lively correspondence with NYS DOCCS regarding an extremely interesting case which I will publicize a little later.

At this time, I am sending an administrative appeal of denial of my FOIL request to NYS DOCCS, with copies to other entities which may be interested in the subject of that particular FOIL request.

As I said above, I will publicize the case that is subject to my administrative appeal in a separate blog later.

Stay tuned.