§ 259-l. Cooperation. 1. It shall be the duty of the commissioner of corrections and community supervision to ensure that all officers and employees of the department shall at all times cooperate with the board of parole and shall furnish to such members of the board and employees of the board such information as may be appropriate to enable them to perform their independent decision making functions. It is also his or her duty to ensure that the functions of the board of parole are not hampered in any way, including but not limited to: a restriction of resources including staff assistance; limited access to vital information; and presentation of inmate information in a manner that may inappropriately influence the board in its decision making. Where an inmate has appeared before the board prior to having completed any program assigned by the department, and such program remains incomplete by no fault of the inmate, and where the board has denied such inmate release pursuant to paragraph (a) of subdivision two of section two hundred fifty-nine-i of this article, the department shall prioritize such inmate's placement into the assigned program.

2. The official in charge of each institution wherein any person is confined under a definite sentence of imprisonment, all officers and employees thereof and all other public officials shall at all times cooperate with the board of parole, and shall furnish to such board, its officers and employees such information as may be required by the board to perform its functions hereunder. The members of the board, its officers and employees shall at all times be given free access to all persons confined in any such institution under such sentence and shall be furnished with appropriate working space in such institution for such purpose without charge therefor.

3. It shall be the duty of the clerk of the court, the commissioner of mental hygiene and all probation officers and other appropriate officials to send such information as may be in their possession or under their control to the chairman of the board upon request in order to facilitate the work of the board.