FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, June 12, 2025
Contact: Yonah Zeitz, yonah@katalcenter.org • 347-201-2769
Follow on socials @KatalCenter • #ShutRikers
The New York Legislature Passes Omnibus Corrections Oversight Bill S.8415 (Salazar) / A.8871 (Dilan), Which Includes Overhauling Government Watchdog with Authority Over Jails and State Prisons
Community Groups, Directly Impacted News Yorkers, and Elected Officials Applaud the State Senate and Assembly for Passing Legislation to Expand and Diversify the State Commission of Correction
Albany, NY—Today, the New York State Senate and Assembly passed an omnibus bill, S.8415 (Salazar)/A.8871 (Dilan), which consists of ten prison oversight and accountability bills. Section H of the omnibus bill includes S.856 (Salazar)/ A.2315 (Gallagher), which overhauls the State Commission of Correction (SCOC), the watchdog agency with investigative and oversight powers over every jail and prison in the state.
The horrific killings of Robert Brooks and Messiah Nantwi in state prisons and crises at local jails like Rikers Island highlight the need to fix the SCOC and ensure New York has an effective watchdog for correctional facilities. At a legislative hearing last month, Robert Brooks’s father called for the passage of legislation to overhaul the SCOC.
The SCOC is an independent body mandated with the constitutional authority to ensure that correctional facilities across New York – all local jails and state prisons – are “safe, stable, and humane.” But for more than 20 years the SCOC has consistently failed to meet its responsibility. That’s why over 100 community, faith, and advocacy organizations across the state have called on legislators to fix the SCOC by ensuring it meets its mandate throughout the state.
Section H of the Omnibus Bill – S.8415/A.8871 –will expand the number of commissioners from three to nine and distribute appointments among the Governor, the Senate, the Assembly, and the independent nonprofit, the Correctional Association of New York. The appointment requirements would guarantee a diversity of backgrounds, including in public health, behavioral healthcare, prisoner’s rights litigation, and personal experiences of incarceration. See this fact sheet for more information.
Support for this legislation has grown this session, and already, some progress has been made. In this year’s budget, the Legislature already increased the funding of the SCOC to $7.1 million – an increase of $3 million from last year’s budget – and strengthened oversight and accountability provisions.
Now that the New York Senate and Assembly have passed this critical bill, Governor Kathy Hochul must sign this bill into law to ensure the safety of incarcerated people across New York.
Quotes from elected officials, community groups, and impacted community members:
Senator Julia Salazar, Prime Bill Sponsor, said: “With the Senate passage of the Prison Reform Omnibus Bill, I’m thinking of Robert Brooks, Messiah Nantwi, and their loved ones. For decades, New York’s state prisons have been plagued by a systemic pattern of racism, staff violence towards incarcerated individuals, and human rights abuses, with little to no accountability or oversight. Just within the last six months, correction officers murdered two young Black men. In December, we watched video footage of prison staff brutally murdering Robert Brooks. Then this past March, we learned correction officers murdered Messiah Nantwi. We know there are countless others whose names we don’t know or who have not received the same level of attention.
This bill is a serious step toward finally reforming our prisons. There is more work to do, including an expansion of pathways for release, but this is progress, it will make a difference, and I’m proud to stand behind it. I urge Governor Hochul to sign it into law.”
Assemblymember Emily Gallagher, Prime Bill Sponsor, said: “We started this session with the image of Mr. Robert Brooks’ lynching burned into our minds. For those of us who are legislators, his murder lit a fire under us to increase oversight and accountability to protect our incarcerated community members. I am incredibly honored that two of my bills — the SCOC expansion bill and the Terry Cooper Autopsy Accountability Act — were included in the prison reform omnibus bill. This bill is an incredibly important first step to ensure that incarcerated people can trust that there will be oversight, accountability, and transparency when they are in state custody. But of course, it’s not enough. There is a crisis in our prisons and jails, and oversight alone won’t solve it. We must ensure that HALT is fully implemented and that programming is restored and expanded. We must fight for sentencing and parole reform, to ensure that people who have been rehabilitated can be released and rejoin their families. I will not stop fighting for the rights and dignity of my community members on the inside.”
Ziyadah Amatul-Matin, Member of the Katal Center, said: “I lost my brother Ramadan Mubarak Ibn Abdul-Mateen while he was incarcerated at Wende Correctional Facility. He died because of the lack of access to medical care and excessive force. My son, who is currently incarcerated, is also experiencing the same horrific conditions that everyone behind bars is enduring. The conditions in New York State jails and prisons are life-threatening and urgent action is needed. Finally, after decades of failure, the New York State legislature has passed the omnibus bill, SB 8415 (Salazar) / AB 8871 (Dilan), which includes ten bills to increase accountability and transparency within DOCCS. The omnibus bill included our SCOC bill to expand and diversify the State Commission on Correction to ensure that it meets its mandate of protecting the constitutional rights of incarcerated people. The culture at DOCCS needs to be radically changed. I’m glad the legislature passed this bill and urge the Governor to sign it into law. However, there is still much more that needs to be done, including passing other critical criminal justice reforms this session.”
Sharon McLennon Wier Ph.D., MSEd., CRC, LMHC Executive Director, Center for Independence of the Disabled, New York (CIDNY), said: “The Center for Independence of the Disabled, New York (CIDNY) thanks the Senate and Assembly for passing the State Commission of Corrections (SCOC) bill S.856 (Salazar)/ A.2315 (Gallagher) as part of the corrections omnibus reform package. This bill, which adds additional members to the State Commission of Corrections is important for New York State prison reform. CIDNY believes that a member with a disability should be represented to truly reflect all residents who are currently incarcerated. We urge Governor Hochul to immediately sign this bill into law.”
Reverend Jim Ketcham, Chaplaincy Certification Coordinator of the NYS Council of Churches, said: “The NYS Council of Churches is very pleased that the NYS Senate and Assembly have passed the omnibus bill addressing essential reforms to our criminal justice and corrections systems, especially the expansion of the State Commission on Corrections. These are important steps to maintain the humanity and dignity of every incarcerated person. A single beating or murder of an incarcerated individual is one too many.
We call on Governor Hochul to sign this package immediately. Lives hang in the balance.”
Michael McQuillan, Member of the Social Justice Committee at the Brooklyn Heights Synagogue, said: “Having passed the Corrections Omnibus Bill today, the Senate and Assembly ushered in what can become an era of vigilance and oversight ensuring that humane treatment of and conditions affecting those within our jails and prisons is the norm throughout the state. The initiative of Senator Salazar and Assembly Member Gallagher with the Katal Center’s gathering of legislative cosponsors plus 107 faith, legal and advocacy groups made this a priority issue. May all urge Governor Hochul to strongly state that she will sign the package into law.”
Robin Lawrence, member of the Katal Center, said: “Words certainly cannot describe the nightmare that incarcerated people are experiencing while detained in a jail and prison in New York. I’ve had loved ones who have been incarcerated and can share how horrible the conditions are. Our communities were horrified by the brutal killings of Robert Brooks and Messiah Nantwi. What happened to them could have been avoided. I send my deepest condolences to their family. It is in their honor and to protect all our incarcerated loved ones that we have been fighting to overhaul the State Commission of Correction. This independent commission has the power to shut down correctional facilities that are violating the constitutional rights of people, as is the case at Rikers Island, Marcy, and Mid-State. I’m immensely grateful to the legislature for advancing our SCOC bill to expand and diversify this independent commission to ensure they fulfill their constitutional mandate of maintaining conditions that are ‘safe, stable, and humane.’ I hope they don’t just stop there but that they pass all of the other critical criminal justice reforms.”
Anthony Maund, Member of the Katal Center for Equity, Health, and Justice: “While I was incarcerated at a State Correctional Facility, there were many instances where correctional officers use excessive physical force on me. I filed so many grievances but there was never any accountability. This is not a unique experience but one that many incarcerated people go through. In other cases, as what occurred with Rober Brooks and Messiah Nantwi, incarcerate people are killed. I send my deepest condolences to all the families that have lost a loved one behind bars. I thank the legislature for stepping up and advancing the SCOC bill, to overhaul the dormant State Commission of Correction, and ensure that they meet their constitutional mandate of keeping correctional facilities in “safe, stable, and humane” conditions. Now I urge the Governor to sign the bill into law”
Husein Yatabarry, Executive Director, Muslim Community Network, said: “We thank the Senate and Assembly for passing the SCOC bill as part of the corrections accountability omnibus package—a necessary step toward justice and oversight in our state’s correctional system. Muslim communities, like so many others, have been directly impacted by the lack of transparency and accountability in carceral institutions. Expanding the State Commission of Correction ensures more expertise, equity, and public trust. We urge Governor Hochul to sign this bill immediately and stand with all New Yorkers demanding dignity and reform.”
Kevin Valentine, Member of the Katal Center, said: “The conditions in New York State prisons and jails are life-threatening and have been this way for decades. As someone who has been through the system, I can tell you that there is no form of rehabilitation for incarcerated individuals. People are subjected to arbitrary punishment that is in direct violation of their constitutional rights. The brutal killings of Robert Brooks and Messiah Nantwi at the hands of Correctional Officers in state prisons made it so that elected officials stopped turning a blind eye to the horrors unfolding at correctional facilities. We cannot continue this way; it is simply cruel. The State Commission on Corrections needs to do a lot more to address and reform these conditions. This commission needed to be revamped a long time ago. I’m proud that the New York State legislature has advanced the SCOC bill, a bill that would expand and diversify this independent commission to ensure they don’t sit idly by as these crises in correctional facilities continue to get worse. I call on Governor Hochul to sign the bill into law.”
Corazon Valiente, Member of the Katal Center for Equity, Health, and Justice: “It’s been disheartening to witness all the deaths that have occurred across jails and prisons in the state. At Rikers Island, under Mayor Adams’ watch, at least 38th people have died in city jails. While this crisis continues, the Mayor has refused to address it. Instead, conditions have worsened to the point that the federal courts have now intervened to take Rikers out of the city’s control. All this could have been avoided had the State Commission of Correction exercised its power to shut down the jail complex, given the multiple human rights violations and usage conditions. However, for decades, they have failed to fulfill their mandate, and that’s why there was an urgent need to overhaul this commission. I’m grateful to the New York State legislature for taking the necessary steps to address some of the conditions plaguing correctional facilities by passing the Omnibus bill S.8415 (Salazar)/A.8871 (Dilan). This package of bills included our legislation to expand and diversify the State Commission of Correction. Tough battles aren’t always won by the swiftest but by those who toil and advocate with steadfastness. Today, our communities get a well-deserved victory!”
Melanie Dominguez and Yonah Zeitz, Organizing and Advocacy Directors of the Katal Center for Equity, Health, and Justice: “Correctional facilities across the state, from prisons to local jails, are marked by violence, abuse, and torture. Following the brutal murders of Robert Brooks and Messiah Nantwi in state prisons, it is clear that New York’s correctional watchdog agency, the State Commission of Correction, is failing to fulfill its constitutional mandate to ensure that prisons and jails across the state are ‘safe, stable, and humane.’
Katal members, many of whom are formerly incarcerated or have loved ones currently incarcerated in jails and prisons from Buffalo to New York City, have demanded an overhaul of the Commission. In this legislative session, more than 100 community, advocacy, faith, and legal organizations have also come out in support of this critical legislation.
Today, we applaud Assemblymember Gallagher for drafting the original bill that led to this reform. We thank Senator Salazar and Assemblymember Dilan for sponsoring this critical legislation, and we thank Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins and Speaker Heastie for including reforms to the Commission as part of this omnibus package. New York needs and deserves an effective independent watchdog for its correctional facilities, and passage of these reforms is an important step to address the horrific and life-threatening conditions incarcerated people face in jails and prisons in our state. Now Governor Hochul must sign this bill into law. ”
###