Gov. Hochul: Sign the Jail & Prison Oversight Bill
Jails and prisons across New York are in crisis. Last week, the New York Times published a horrific story about Ernastiaze Moore, who was violently assaulted and sexually abused by correctional officers at Sullivan Correctional Facility in January 2023. This story follows the brutal killings of Robert Brooks and Messiah Nantwi at Marcy and Mid-State prisons that occurred in the past and underscores the violence and abuse incarcerated people face in New York State’s prison system. Local jails from Buffalo to Nassau County are no different. Twelve people have died at Rikers jails this year, and a recent report found that the rates of violence continue to rise.
In response, our member Kevin stated, “Governor Hochul has a moral responsibility to ensure that incarcerated people are not being beaten to death. People’s lives are in danger, and Governor Hochul has been sitting idly by since June of this year, when the legislature passed the Omnibus Correction Oversight Bill S.8415 (Salazar)/A.8871 (Dilan).” Here is the statement we put out in response.
With less than fifty days left in the year, we need Gov. Hochul to sign this bill into law now. Lives are at stake and there’s no time to waste.
Once you take this online action, we ask that you share it with at least two people in your life and ask them to do the same.
If you have any questions about the Jail & Prison Oversight Omnibus Bill, please contact Yonah at Yonah@katalcenter.org.
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November NY Statewide Criminal Justice Reform Call Recap
Today was our November Statewide Criminal Justice Reform Call. We spent extra time on the call discussing the November 4th General Election and how progressive candidates won in several of the state’s largest cities, as well as how some county legislatures flipped blue, among other topics. We also heard from organizers and advocates working to advance criminal justice reform at the Center for Community Alternatives, the Center for Independence of the Disabled New York, Releasing Aging People from Prison, and the New York Immigration Coalition. We have one more statewide call of the year.
Register to join us on Thursday, December 11th, from noon to 1 p.m.
If you have any questions about the statewide call or would like to be a presenter, please contact Yonah at Yonah@katalcenter.org.
Katal in the News
Close-Rikers advocates rally ahead of a Board of Correction meeting in Lower Manhattan, Jan. 10, 2024. Credit: Ben Fractenberg/THE CITY
The City: Yesterday, the Jails Action Coalition and the #HALTsolitary Campaign released a comprehensive “Blueprint” to address the humanitarian crises at Rikers. We applaud the authors for this timely report.
Our executive director, gabriel sayegh, was quoted in The City’s article about the report, saying: “Mayor Adams not only abandoned the plan to close Rikers, he abandoned the people whose lives are impacted by the horror of Rikers. This new report, and our report coming out next week, are good places to start.”
The article references a report that we’ll be releasing next week, in collaboration with John Jay College’s Data Collaborative for Justice, focusing on mental health and Rikers. Stay tuned for the release of this report next week.
Inspiring Resistance This Week
– At Pope Leo’s urging, US Bishops issue historic rebuke of the Trump administration’s “inhumane” deportation campaign. See more details about this here.
-Chicago’s ICE resistance has shown the country how everyday Americans are fearless in fighting to protect thrift communities. See more details here.
For more examples of resistance, check out Choose Democracy’s Resist List!
Quotes of the Week
“I’ll rise up. I’ll rise unafraid. I’ll rise up. And I’ll do it a thousand times again.” ― Andra Day
“What I try to tell young people is that if you come together with a mission, and its grounded with love and a sense of community, you can make the impossible possible.” ― John Lewis
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