NYC wants to erase the word ‘inmate’ because it is undignified

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NYC wants to erase the word ‘inmate’ because it is undignified

NYC’s Board of Correction wants to replace the word “inmate” with “person in custody” throughout its regulations as part of a broader push toward person-first language.
The proposal follows New York State’s 2022 decision to replace terms such as “inmate,” “felon,” and “convict” in state law with less stigmatizing alternatives.
Why it matters: The debate has become another flashpoint in the larger fight over criminal justice policy, with supporters calling it a matter of dignity while critics argue city leaders are focusing on terminology instead of public safety.

New York City’s latest criminal justice debate isn’t about bail reform, sentencing laws or prison conditions. This time, it’s about vocabulary.

The city’s Board of Correction has proposed rewriting its rules to eliminate the words “inmate” and “inmates,” replacing them more than 300 times with the phrases “person in custody” and “people in custody.” The move is part of a years-long effort by city and state officials to adopt what they describe as “person-first language” throughout New York’s correctional system.

According to the proposed rule, the Board said it committed in 2021 to updating its communications and Minimum Standards by “deleting references to inmates in favor of person-first terms such as people in custody,” while also incorporating gender-inclusive language.

Advocates supporting the change argue labels such as “inmate” can stigmatize individuals and reduce them to their incarceration status rather than recognizing them as people first.
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