Organizing to Implement Reforms to the State Commission of Correction
On Saturday, May 9th, key reforms to the State Commission of Correction (SCOC) that Gov. Kathy Hochul signed into law last year went into effect. The reforms expand the number of commissioners from three to five – with at least one commissioner required to be a formerly incarcerated person.
We issued this press release in response to the May 9th effective date, featuring quotes from elected officials, community groups, and our members.
Here’s our statement from our member Shureen Harris: “My brother-in-law is currently incarcerated, and families like mine cannot wait any longer. Incarcerated people in New York are being denied care and exposed to horrific violence every day. The SCOC is an independent government watchdog with authority over jails and prisons across New York. Yet, for decades, commissioners with law enforcement and sheriff backgrounds have dominated the agency while conditions inside facilities have continued to deteriorate. Our families deserve real oversight, accountability, and leadership rooted in public health, civil rights, mental health, and the lived experience of directly impacted communities.
We are calling on Governor Hochul to appoint reform-oriented commissioners with experience in decarceration, disability justice, healthcare, mental health advocacy, legal services, and community-based organizing, not more individuals tied to the same systems that have failed incarcerated people for generations.”
Check out this factsheet to see the full list of reforms to the SCOC in 2025.
As of today, Gov. Hochul has not appointed any new Commissioners, which leaves the SCOC without a quorum to function. The governor has also yet to appoint a formerly incarcerated person to the commission, which is required under law. Without new members, the SCOC is immobilized, precisely when oversight is needed most.
To make matters worse, Gov. Hochul is also cutting $3 million in funding to the Correctional Association of New York (CANY) – the nonprofit organization with constitutional authority to investigate conditions in state prisons. This additional money was used to hire staff and schedule multiple investigative visits to 6 of the more troubled state prisons. See the statement we issued last week with the Alliance of Rights and Recovery.
As New York’s prison system remains embattled with preventable deaths, violence, and overuse of isolation and lockdowns, it’s clear that greater oversight, not less, is needed to improve conditions and save lives. This starts with fully funding CANY and fully staffing the SCOC with reform-oriented commissioners.
If you have any questions about the State Commission on Corrections or want to get involved in our implementation work, please reach out to Yonah at Yonah@katalcenter.org.
This week, Two Incarcerated People Die at Rikers in less than 24 Hours
On Monday, Rajpattie Ramkellawan, 41-years-old, died while incarcerated at the Rose M. Singer Center on Rikers Island. Less than 24 hours later, Umais Khan, 40-years-old, died while incarcerated at the Eric M. Taylor Center on Rikers Island. Four incarcerated people have died in DOC custody this year.
While Mayor Mamdani has spoken of reducing the jail population and closing Rikers, his proposed budget fails to match his commitment. The proposed new budget does not include the necessary funding as it fails to significantly increase investments in proven solutions to safely reduce the jail population, such as ATI’s, supervised release, JISH housing, IMT, FACT teams, and B-HEARD mental health responses (see the recommendations section of our mental health and Rikers report for more details). The city has acknowledged it can’t meet its own 2027 closure deadline, but has yet to provide any plan for how and when Rikers will finally be shuttered.
In response to the two deaths at Rikers this week, our members Mika’el Daniels and Kevin Valentine issued these statements:
Mika’el Daniels said: “I send my deepest condolences to everyone who knew and loved Ms. Ramkellawan. It saddens me to learn that yet another person has died while detained at Rikers Island. I know that people who are currently detained there are living in constant fear and are unsure if they will make it back home safely.I know this because not too long ago, I was held at Rikers and felt this fear myself. I am thankful to be home with my family. I call on Mayor Mamdani to make shutting down Rikers his top priority.
See the full statement here.
Kevin Valentine said: “It is horrifying that in less than 24-hours a second person has passed away at Rikers Island. I send my deepest condolences to those who cared about Mr. Khan. These two recent deaths underscore just how dire the conditions are at Rikers. I know first-hand the ways in which incarcerated people are put in harm’s way. Individuals are not receiving the proper medical care and attention that they require. We are left to languish. With a new Mayoral administration, there have been no changes in the culture at Rikers, and there won’t be until it is closed.
See the full statement here.
Take action here to contact Mayor Mamdani and demand that he pass a budget that reduces the jail population and shuts down Rikers.
If you have any questions about our Shut Riker campaigns and organizing, please contact Melanie at Melanie@katalcenter.org.
SCOC Info Session in Syracuse with UnChained
Our Advocacy Director, Yonah Zeitz, speaking to Unchained members and staff about the SCOC, 5.21.26
Last night, we held an SCOC Info Session in Syracuse with our partners at Unchained.
During this info session, we explained the history and authority of the State Commission of Correction (SCOC), discussed the 2025 reforms to the SCOC (including the new commissioners, one of whom must be formerly incarcerated), reviewed how to use the new online complaint portal, and shared action steps to getting reform-oriented commissioners appointed to the SCOC.
This month, we’ve held info sessions in Syracuse and on Long Island, and we’ll continue to host these community events across the state.
If you have any questions about the State Commission on Corrections and would like us to hold an info session in your community, please contact Ricky at ricky@katalcenter.org.
May Statewide Criminal Justice Reform Recap
Community members, advocates, and organizers on our May NY CJ Justice Reform Call 5.14.26
Last week, we held our May Statewide Criminal Justice Reform. We had over 100 people register for the call, and the energy was great.. We spent a large portion of the call discussing the state budget, the current state of negotiations, and which criminal justice bills appear likely to pass both houses in this year’s legislative session. We also heard from a range of organizers and advocates working to pass the New York for Act the CARE Act, the Earned Time and Second Look Act, and the Reentry Assistance Act.
The next Statewide Criminal Justice Reform Call is on June 11th, from 12-1. Please register here to join us!
If you have any questions about the statewide call or would like to be a presenter, please contact Yonah at Yonah@katalcenter.org.
Thank You to Our MSW Interns Amira and Katherine
Our MSW interns, first and second on the left, are joining our outreach team
This year, we had the pleasure of hosting Amira Wittenberg and Katherine Ferrante as our MSW interns through the Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College. This is their last week at Katal, and we want to thank them for all the work they did to support our organizing this year. From knocking in Brownsville with our outreach team to testifying about closing Rikers at City Hall, they have made important contributions to our work and the larger movement. We wish them the best and look forward to seeing what they do next after graduation.
Thank you, Amira and Katherine!
Our MSW interns, Amira and Katherine, during outreach in the fall of 2025
Katal In the News
- VanGuard News Group: Our Member, Mika’el Daniels, is quoted saying in response to the death at Rikers this week, “It saddens me to learn that yet another person has died while detained at Rikers Island. … I call on Mayor Mamdani to make shutting down Rikers his top priority. The individuals detained at Rikers Island deserve to be treated humanely and deserve to live.”
- Queens Daily Eagle: We were featured in this story about the Governor failing to fulfill the SCOC appointments saying: ”With three out of the five commissioner seats vacant and without a quorum, Gov. Hochul must swiftly appoint new commissioners to ensure the agency will no longer sit idly by while incarcerated people face violence and abuse behind bars.”
- New York Focus: In this story about the SCOC being left hamstrung by Gov. Hochul, our advocacy director, Yonah Zeitz, is quoted saying, “The governor said she was committed to increasing oversight and accountability, yet her inaction speaks louder than words.”
- New York Amsterdam News: In this piece about the rising number of prison deaths, our advocacy director, Yonah Zeitz, is quoted saying, “This governor has said she is committed to increasing oversight accountability.Her actions speak louder than words. She is not restoring the CANY funding, and she has not put reform-oriented commissioners on the SCOC.”
Inspiring Resistance This Week
– As people across the country continue to fight back to protect our right to vote, check out this recent video of actual Freedom Riders, now elderly, sitting together decades after risking their lives to challenge segregation in the American South.See it here.
For more examples of resistance, check out Choose Democracy’s Resist List!
Quotes of the Week
“Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they’ve been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It’s an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It’s a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing.” – Muhammad Ali
“We must also make ourselves flexible, to avoid becoming too devoted to the plans we have formed.” – Seneca‘”Perfection is a stick with which to beat the possible.” – Rebecca Solnit
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