FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, December 17th, 2025
Contact: Yonah Zeitz: yonah@katalcenter.org • 347-201-2769
Follow on socials @KatalCenter • #ShutRikers #CutShutInvestNY
Today, the State Watchdog Agency Responsible for Jail and Prison Oversight Held Their Monthly Meeting, the Public Portion Lasted Less Than Ten Minutes and They Failed to Address the Worsening Chaos Taking Place in Correctional Facilities Across New York
Legislation to Overhaul the Failing State Commission of Correction Currently Awaits Governor Hochul’s Signature, and She Has Until this Friday, December 19, to Sign the Bill into Law
New York, NY: Today, 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” – held 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.
Similar to previous meetings, which averaged less than ten minutes long, the commission failed to mention 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, they have resigned their role to approving construction projects and variance requests at the expense of the safety and well-being of incarcerated people.
A coalition of more than 160 community, advocacy, and faith-based organizations has called on Gov. Hochul to swiftly sign the Jail and Prison Oversight Omnibus Bill into law, to overhaul the State Commission of Correction.
Quotes from community groups and impacted community members:
Lah Franklin, Member of the Katal Center, said: “In New York, jails and prisons are in an ongoing state of crisis that needs to end. Even when I was incarcerated, the conditions were bad, but it’s gotten progressively worse. Incarcerated people are suffering horrible abuse at the hands of Correctional officers. In a state prison, we witnessed the brutal murder of Robert Brooks; had it not been caught on camera, this would have been another death that would have been swept under the rug. In NYC, at least 47 people have died under the custody of the Department of Correction since Mayor Adams took office in 2022. While these family members mourn their loved ones, we implore that Governor Hochul sign the Jail & Prison Oversight Omnibus Bill without any changes. These families deserve justice and deserve to have an independent jail & prison watchdog, State Commission of Correction, that is actively working to protect them and prevent these horrific killings from occurring.”
Nathan McLaughlin, Executive Director, NAMI New York State, said: “The State Commission of Correction plays a critical role in safeguarding the health and safety of people in New York’s correctional facilities, yet too often current oversight falls short—particularly for individuals living with mental illness. Senate Bill S.856 offers a thoughtful, necessary update to strengthen accountability, improve transparency, and ensure that correctional settings do not exacerbate mental health crises. NAMI New York State supports this legislation as an important step toward a more humane and responsible correctional system.”
Dr. Shakira Kennedy, LMSW, NASW NY Executive Director, said: “Prison oversight of Rikers Island and other NYS prisons is a human rights necessity. The unethical conditions of Rikers and other prisons has led to increasing loss of life in recent years. Social workers abide by the NASW Code of Ethics to ensure justice involved individuals are treated with respect and decency. Governor Kathy Hochul, we urge you to sign the Omnibus Correction Oversight Bill S.8415 (Salazar)/A.8871 (Dilan) to help solve this crisis.”
Lukee Forbes, Co-Founder and Executive Director of We Are Revolutionary, said: “With less than five days left, there is no excuse for delay, backroom negotiations, or watering this bill down. The Jail and Prison Oversight Omnibus Bill must be signed as written. Impacted families are tired of watching the state negotiate our safety, our lives, and our dignity behind closed doors. Oversight is not optional, it is the bare minimum. Any attempt to weaken this bill is a choice to protect violence, neglect, and impunity inside our jails and prisons. Governor Hochul must stop stalling and sign the bill in full.”
Bobbi Leigh, Member of the Katal Center, said: “I have family members and friends who struggle with addiction and mental health issues who were incarcerated because of it. While detained, they received absolutely no help and were instead placed in life-threatening conditions. I have a loved one who is being released from prison this week and I’m the one who has to be there to help him through the process of coming back to society. The system is just leaving him to fend for himself with no support. Incarceration does not address the root causes of what leads people to certain behaviors, nor does it provide meaningful rehabilitation. Instead, incarcerated people across the state continue to face horrific violence—most tragically seen in the murder of Robert Brooks at Marcy Correctional Facility. I implore Governor Hochul to sign the Jail & Prison Oversight Omnibus bill to overhaul the State Commission of Correction. Today’s monthly meeting has shown us yet again that this commission is failing to keep our incarcerated loved ones safe. Sign the bill immediately.
Yonah Zeitz, the advocacy director at the Katal Center for Equity, Health, and Justice, said: “For decades, people incarcerated in New York’s jails and prisons, including our members and their loved ones, have suffered from medical neglect, abuse, violence, and death. Today, the State Commission of Correction (SCOC), the independent government watchdog with authority over local jails and state prisons, held its monthly December meeting and, once again, utterly failed to address the crisis behind bars. The murders of Robert Brooks and Messiah Nantwi in state prisons and the nearly 50 deaths in NYC jails under Mayor Adams underscore the worsening conditions in correctional facilities across the state. This commission has a constitutional mandate to ensure all jails and prisons are ‘safe, stable, and humane’ for incarcerated people, yet for decades, they have failed this responsibility. Rather than using their extensive power to protect incarcerated people and save lives, they have resigned themselves to approving variances and construction. It’s shameful that the public portion of today’s meeting lasted less than ten minutes. It’s shameful that the commissioners do nothing while incarcerated people die from abuse and medical neglect. Urgent action is needed to save lives and overhaul the SCOC. Right now, legislation to increase jail and prison oversight, including reforming the SCOC, awaits Gov. Hochul’s signature. The governor should immediately sign this bill into law without any changes. There is no time to waste.”
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