**MEDIA ADVISORY**
December 15, 2025
Contact: Yonah Zeitz: 347-201-2768 yonah@katalcenter.org
Follow online: @katalcenter | #ShutRikers | shutrikers.org
Wednesday, 12/17: As State Prisons and Local Jails Descend Further Into Chaos, State Watchdog Agency Responsible for Oversight to Hold Next Monthly Meeting
Legislation to Overhaul the Failing State Commission of Correction Currently Awaits Governor Hochul’s Signature
New York, NY – On Wednesday, December 17th at 11:00 AM, the State Commission of Correction (SCOC) – an independent oversight agency with a constitutional mandate to ensure that local jails and state prisons are “safe, stable, and humane” – will hold its December monthly meeting. As jails and prisons across the state remain in crisis, the SCOC has consistently failed to meet its responsibilities. In June, the NY Legislature passed the Jail and Prison Oversight Omnibus Bill (S.8415 (Salazar)/A.8871 (Dilan), and Section H of the omnibus bill includes provisions to overhaul the SCOC. This legislation is currently awaiting Governor Hochul’s signature and she has until Friday, December 19th to sign it into law.
The brutal killings of Robert Brooks and Messiah Nantwi at Marcy and Mid-State prisons underscore the violence and abuse incarcerated people face in New York State’s prison system. Local jails are no better. In NYC, the crisis at Rikers is also worsening, and last week, the 14th person incarcerated this year died while incarcerated in city jails. At least 47 people have died in DOC custody since Eric Adams became mayor in 2022. While all this is going on, the government watchdog responsible for ensuring the safety of incarcerated people has done next to nothing to address these dangerous and deadly conditions.
The public portions of the SCOC monthly meetings average less than ten minutes long, and in the last year, not once have they mentioned the murders in state prisons or the growing number of deaths in local jails like Rikers. The commission has wide-ranging authority, including if necessary, the power to shut down correctional facilities, like Marcy, Mid-State, and Rikers, found to be out of compliance for violating the rights of incarcerated people. Yet, for the last year, they have resigned their role to approving construction projects and variance requests.
Earlier this month, a coalition of more than 150 community, advocacy, and faith-based organizations sent a letter to Gov. Hochul urging her to swiftly sign the Jail and Prison Oversight Omnibus Bill into law, to overhaul the State Commission of Correction
WHAT: State Commission of Correction December Monthly Meeting
WHEN and WHERE: Wednesday, December 17th at 11 AM. You can attend in person (Alfred E. Smith State Office Building, 80 S. Swan Street Albany, NY 12210) or watch the meeting live online via Youtube.
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