Tuesday, Dec 9th: Rally to Demand Gov. Hochul Sign the Jail & Prison Oversight Bill
On Tuesday, December 9th at 12 pm, we’re holding a rally outside of Gov. Hochul’s NYC Office to demand that she immediately sign the Jail and Prison Oversight Omnibus Bill into law. Tuesday, December 9th, is the first anniversary of Robert Brooks’ murder, and the family of Robert Brooks has called on Gov. Hochul to sign this critical bill.
Jails and prisons across New York are in crisis. 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. In NYC, local jails are no different. Thirteen people have died at Rikers jails this year, and the rates of violence continue to rise in NYC jails.
Gov. Hochul has until the end of 2025 to sign the Jail and Prison Oversight Omnibus bill into law. With 27 days left in the year, we need Gov. Hochul to sign the bill now. Lives are at stake and there’s no time to waste. We’re hitting the streets on Tuesday to call on the Governor to sign this critical bill.
RSVP for our rally on Tuesday, December 9th at 12 pm, outside for Gov.Hochul’s NYC Office.
Rally Details:
📣 What: Rally to Demand Gov. Hochul Sign the Jail & Prison Oversight Bill
🗓 When: Tuesday, December 9th, 2025
⏰ Time: 12:00 PM
📍 Where: Gov. Hochul’s NYC Office, 919 Third Ave NY, NY
If you’re not based in NYC, you can still join us in taking action on Tuesday, December, by contacting Gov. Hochul and demanding that she sign the bill immediately. Take action to contact Gov. Hochul.
If you have any questions about Tuesday’s rally, please contact Melanie at melanie@katalcenter.org.
An update on our organizing: Calling on Gov. Hochul to sign the Jail and Prison Oversight Omnibus Bill into law
If you have any questions about our organizing efforts to SCOC and the Jail and Prison Oversight Bill, please contact Yonah at Yonah@katalcenter.org.
Rikers Island and Mental Health: Pathways Toward Community-Based Diversion and Jail Population Reduction
On Wednesday, November 19, we released a new report with the Data Collaboration for Justice at John Jay College titled: Rikers Island and Mental Health: Pathways Toward Community-Based Diversion and Jail Population Reduction.
As New York City works toward its legal mandate to close Rikers Island, proceeding smartly and compassionately to address the mental health needs of people detained in the jail system is a defining challenge. Under Mayor Adams, the current daily jail population has climbed to nearly 7,000 people—an increase driven in part by a growing number of individuals with significant mental health needs. Today, 60% of New Yorkers held at Rikers have needed mental health services, 22% are diagnosed with a serious mental illness, and 25% suffer from an opioid disorder. Rikers Island is no place for delivering proper care. Yet Rikers functions as the largest mental health facility in New York City and one of the largest in the nation.
In partnership with the DCJ, this report examines the scale of mental health needs among people detained at Rikers and identifies a 15-point plan to create a more effective and humane path forward to reduce the jail population and shut down Rikers.
Grounded in evidence, this report seeks to advance three goals:
- Present updated data on the nature and scale of mental health needs among people held in the NYC jails.
- Reveal the individuals behind the numbers through first-person accounts (including from our members) that highlight the human impact of overincarceration as well as the positive role that community-based treatment can play in alleviating suffering.
- Describe a continuum of community-based diversion strategies that are safe, effective, and aligned with the City’s plan to close Rikers Island.
Taken together, the findings, case studies, and recommendations, which both synthesize and add to previous work in this area, offer a path toward substantially reducing incarceration, enhancing individual wellbeing, and building a true public health response to New Yorkers with mental health needs.
See the press release we issued about the report featuring quotes from the authors, our members, people impacted by Rikers, and our community partners.
See an excerpt of our members Danielle Shank’s case study here:
If you have any questions about the Rikers Island and Mental Health Report, please contact Yonah at Yonah@katalcenter.org.
December NY Statewide Criminal Justice Reform Call
Our next NY Statewide Criminal Justice Reform Call is next Thursday, December 11th, at noon! This will be our last call before the start of the 2026 legislative session in Albany. With less than a month left for Gov.Hochul to sign bills into law, we’ll discuss which criminal justice bills are still awaiting the Governor’s signature as well as the upcoming 2026 legislative session, and various campaigns to reform New York’s criminal legal system. We’ll be joined by organizers, advocates, and community members working on every aspect of justice reform in the state.
Register to join us next 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
Gothamist: On Wednesday, November 26, Gothamist published an article titled “Rikers inmates increasingly need mental health help. New jails won’t fix that, report says” about our new mental health report. Check it out here.
The City: on Friday, November 21, The City published an article tired, “Hours Before Expected Release, Rikers Detainee Dies After Apparent Seizure.” The story features a quote from our member Jeffrey Davis. Check it out here.
Time Union: Today, Thursday, December 4, the Times Union published an article about the letter we sent to Gov. Hochul with a coalition of more than 150 community, advocacy, and faith-based organizations. Check out it here.
Inspiring Resistance This Week
– Every day Americans in Appalachia and the Southeast show that resisting ICE is becoming more common everyday. See more details about this here.
– In NYC, a group of New Yorkers gathered outside a garage on the edge of Chinatown, on Centre and Hester Streets, where ICE and the Department of Homeland Security agents we’re preparing a raid. The people blocked agents vehicles from moving, forming a barricade at the mouth of the garage with their bodies. Several people were arrested defending their community members. See more details here.
For more examples of resistance, check out Choose Democracy’s Resist List!
Quotes of the Week
“It means a great deal to those who are oppressed to know that they are not alone. Never let anyone tell you that what you are doing is insignificant.” ― Desmond Tutu
“ If you dare to struggle, you dare to win. If you dare not struggle, then damn it, you don’t deserve to win.” ― Fred Hampton
For printing and distribution,
download the Katal Weekly Update PDF version.
Katal works to develop intergenerational leadership and organizing capacity to build community-based power and win systemic change for equity, health, and justice. Join us: web, Bluesky, Instagram & Facebook! Email: info@katalcenter.org Phone: 646.875.8822