FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, December 18th, 2025
Contact: Yonah Zeitz: yonah@katalcenter.org • 347-201-2769
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Statewide Coalition of Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, and Muslim Organizations Send Interfaith Letter to Governor Kathy Hochul Demanding She Immediately Sign the Jail and Prison Oversight Omnibus Bill Into Law
Legislation to Overhaul the Failing State Commission of Correction Currently Awaits Governor Hochul’s Signature, and She Has Until Tomorrow Friday, December 19, to Sign the Bill into Law
New York, NY: Today, a coalition of Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, and Muslim congregations and networks from across the state sent an interfaith letter to Governor Kathy Hochul urging her to immediately sign the Jail and Prison Oversight Omnibus Bill (S. 8415 – Salazar / A.8871 – Dilan) into law without any changes. Support for signing this critical legislation continues to grow as individuals and organizations across the state demand action in response to the crises unfolding in local jails and state prisons under the Hochul Administration. Amidst the worsening violence and chaos behind bars, there are concerns that the Governor continues to seek chapter amendments to this legislation that remove the Legislature’s involvement in reforming the SCOC.
The letter features congregations, organizations, and networks that represent thousands of congregations and hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers, including the New York Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism (RAC-NY), which organizes the 99 Reform Jewish congregations across the state, the New York State Council of Churches, representing 7,000 congregations across the state, and the Arab American Association of New York.
Here is an excerpt from the letter:
“We call on you, Governor Kathy Hochul, to take action to protect incarcerated people and save lives by immediately signing the Jail and Prison Oversight Omnibus bill into law with no changes. Our faith compels us to speak out, and ensure everyone in our community, especially those who are incarcerated, are treated with dignity and care.
Let there be no more deaths, no more beatings, no more brutality against helpless incarcerated men and women. And let us ensure that incarcerated people have the opportunity to be redeemed and to return to their homes, their marriages, their families, and their communities.”
See the full interfaith letter to Gov. Hochul here.
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