N.Y. CRC Law § 56

§ 56. Prisoner's right to communicate with friends. (1) The\ncommissioner of correction of the city of New York shall cause to be\nplaced in each district prison a notice in several languages, setting\nforth that prisoners have the right to send a message or to write to or\ncause their relatives or friends to be telephoned to in the manner\nhereinafter set forth, and also stating the rates of messenger service.\nWhenever a person is detained in a district prison the keeper or other\nperson in charge shall, at the request of such prisoner, telephone,\nwithout cost, to one number in the city of New York given him by said\nprisoner in an effort to reach his relatives and friends, or, at the\noption of the prisoner, give him a stamped envelope free of charge, or\nat cost an envelope with necessary postage for a special delivery\nletter. The keeper or other person in charge shall, at the request of\nsuch prisoner, telephone to such other numbers as the prisoner may\nrequest upon the payment of the regular telephone charge for the same.\nIt shall be the duty of the lieutenant, or other officer in charge at\nthe police station, to telephone free of charge to three numbers at the\nrequest of the prisoner. In each case the lieutenant, or other officer\nin charge of the station house, or the keeper, or other person in charge\nof the district prison, shall inform the prisoner of his opportunity to\ntelephone or receive a stamped envelope and postage as above set forth,\nand in addition thereto, in each district prison there shall be\ninstalled a messenger telegraph service, and whether the prisoner sends\na message by said service or by a messenger he shall not be charged any\nsum greater than the customary rate for similar service from any other\nplace in the city.\n (2) At the time of the arraignment of a defendant, the judge shall\ninform said defendant that he is entitled to communicate with his\nrelatives or friends, by letter or telephone free of charge. But the\nfailure of the judge to give the warning prescribed herein shall not be\ndeemed a reason to reverse a judgment of conviction unless such failure\nis shown to have deprived the defendant of a fair trial.\n