Pushing for Hochul to Sign the Corrections Omnibus Bill and Overhaul the State Commission of Correction
After working with our team, last Tuesday, the New York City Comptroller Brad Lander sent this letter to Governor Kathy Hochul calling on her to sign the Corrections Oversight Omnibus bill, S.8415 (Salazar)/A.8871 (Dilan), into law.
In this letter to the Governor, the NYC Comptroller says:
‘The intractable crisis at Rikers Island makes this an urgent issue. With the delay of the Borough-Based Jails and population trends indicating closure will not occur by the legally mandated 2027 deadline, we must use every available tool to keep people safe while the facility remains in operation. Although Rikers is operated by the City, it is still a local correctional facility subject to the State Commission of Correction’s minimum standards…. To do its work effectively, the SCOC needs the capacity and expertise this bill provides. I support the Corrections Oversight Omnibus Bill, especially Section H, which would expand and diversify the SCOC so it can better fulfill its mandate. These changes would make the SCOC a stronger instrument for oversight and reform, and would help the State meet its obligations, including closing Rikers Island and addressing life-threatening conditions in jails and prisons across New York. I respectfully urge you to sign the Corrections Oversight Omnibus bill into law to bring stability and safety to New York’s jails and prisons.”
Check out the full letter here.
Following the release of this letter, we put out this statement from our member Lah Franklin:
“I’m grateful to NYC Comptroller Brad Lander’s commitment to holding Mayor Adams accountable for addressing this crisis and calling on Governor Hochul to intervene. The Governor has the power to sign into law the Omnibus bill that includes legislation to overhaul the State Commission of Correction to ensure they keep incarcerated people and staff in ‘safe, stable and humane conditions.’ If the correctional facility fails to meet this standard, as is the case with Rikers Island, they have the power to shut it down. Governor Hochul, New Yorkers deserve better and I urge that you sign the omnibus bill immediately.”
If you have any questions, please reach out to Yonah at Yonah@katalcenter.org. We hope to see you there!
ICE Out of Rikers
Our organizing director, Melanie Dominguez, speaking on the steps of City Hall at the ICE Out of Rikers Press Conference, 9.16.25
Last Monday, Judge Rosado’s court order in the New York Supreme Court struck down Mayor Adams’s attack on NYC’s sanctuary laws by attempting to bring ICE back onto Rikers. In April, the Adams administration made good on the Mayor’s threat to return ICE to operate on Rikers Island by entering an executive order establishing federal law enforcement space at Rikers, including for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. This came after Adams’s quid pro quo with Trump to get his federal corruption charges dropped and multiple meetings between the Mayor and Tom Homan, the “border czar” charged with carrying out Trump’s mass deportation agenda.
We celebrated the State Supreme Court’s decision and issued this statement with the ICE Out! NYC Coalition and the New York City Anti-Violence Project.
Here’s our quote:
“Early this year, Mayor Adams sold out immigrant New Yorkers by attempting to allow ICE to reopen an office at Rikers Island, in a quid pro quo with President Trump to get his corruption charges dropped. This was a shameless attempt to help the Trump Administration carry out its mass criminalization and deportation agenda for the mayor’s selfish benefits. Yesterday, Justice Mary V. Rosado ruled that the Mayor’s Executive Order to allow immigration authorities into Rikers Island presented a conflict of interest and was outright illegal. We hail this ruling; instead of working with ICE to further criminalize immigrants, the Mayor should be working to shut down the deadly jail complex and protect all New Yorkers.”
Yesterday, we joined the Speaker of the City Council and community groups for a press Conference on the steps of City Hall to celebrate the court’s ruling and to call on Mayor to shut down Rikers.
If you have any questions or would like to join our Shut Rikers campaign, please reach out to Melaine at Melaine@katalcenter.org.
Weekly Pro-Democracy Phone Zaps
Join us next Wednesday, September 24th, for our weekly Pro-Democracy Phone Zaps! Every Wednesday from 12-12:45pm (EST), we’re gathering on Zoom to call our elected officials.
Over the last few weeks, we’ve seen Trump intensify his authoritarian tactics. On Friday, Trump announced he’ll send the National Guard to Memphis, Tennessee. We know this is not actually about crime or public safety; it’s about dismantling our rights and democracy.
However, people across the country are continuing to stand up and fight back. If you’ve been looking for a starting point to take action against Trump’s authoritarianism, this is a great place to jump in.
Register here for our Pro-Democracy Phone Zap this Wednesday, September 24th!
If you have any questions, please reach out to Ricky at ricky@katalcenter.org. We hope to see you there.
Katal In the News
- New York Amsterdam News: Our advocacy director, Yonah Zeitz, is quoted in an article about advocates calling on the Omnibus Corrections Oversight bill to be signed into law.
- amNewYork: Our organizing director, Melanie Dominguez, is quoted in this article about the ruling that blocked Adams from allowing ICE to return to Rikers Island.
Inspiring Resistance This Week
– This afternoon in NYC, nearly a dozen city and state elected officials were arrested inside of 26 Federal Plaza for demanding to be let into the ICE holding cells and refusing to leave until they’re allowed inside. Dozens of activists were also arrested outside the building.
– On September 20th, world leaders will be gathering in New York City for the UN General Assembly and Climate Week. Make Billionaires Pay is leading a march for clean air, clean water, and justice for all. More details here.
For more examples of resistance, check out Choose Democracy’s Resist List!
Quotes of the Week
“If there is no struggle, there is no progress. Those who profess to favor freedom, and yet depreciate agitation, are men who want crops without plowing up the ground.” ― Frederick Douglass
“In all our deeds, the proper value and respect for time determines success or failure.” – Malcolm X
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