N.Y. COR Law § 125

§ 125. Incarcerated individuals' money, clothing and other property;\nwhat to be furnished them on their release. 1. The superintendent, or an\nemployee covered by bond who is designated by the superintendent, of\neach correctional facility shall take charge of all moneys and other\narticles which may be brought to the facility by the incarcerated\nindividuals, including but not limited to any identification, and shall\ncause the same, immediately upon the receipt thereof, to be entered\namong the receipts of the facility; which money and other articles,\nincluding but not limited to any identification materials, whenever the\nincarcerated individual from whom the same was received shall be\ndischarged from the custody of the department, or the same shall be\notherwise legally demanded, shall be returned by the said superintendent\nto such incarcerated individual or other person legally entitled to the\nsame, and vouchers shall be taken therefor. The commissioner shall\npromulgate rules and regulations concerning the custody and transfer of\nsuch money and other articles, including but not limited to any\nidentification materials in cases where incarcerated individuals are\ntransferred from one facility to another.\n 2. The superintendent of each of said facilities shall furnish to each\nincarcerated individual who shall be discharged or released from said\nfacility by pardon, parole, conditional release or otherwise, except\nsuch incarcerated individuals as are released for return for resentence\nor new trial or upon a certificate of reasonable doubt, and except such\nincarcerated individuals who are released to participate in a program\noutside the facility who are required to return to the facility,\nsuitable clothing adapted to the season in which he or she is discharged\nnot to exceed sixty-five dollars in value and transportation to the\ncounty of his or her conviction or to such other place as the\ncommissioner may designate. In addition, the commissioner shall take\nsuch steps as are necessary to ensure that incarcerated individuals have\nat least forty dollars available upon release.\n 3. In any case where an incarcerated individual is not entitled to\nreceive clothing and transportation under subdivision two of this\nsection, the superintendent, in his or her discretion, but subject to\nthe rules of the department, may furnish an incarcerated individual who\nis released from a facility with clothing or transportation not in\nexcess of the value for each item specified in subdivision two of this\nsection.\n