**MEDIA ADVISORY**
March 24, 2025
Contact: Yonah Zeitz: 347-201-2768 yonah@katalcenter.org
Follow online: @katalcenter | #ShutRikers | shutrikers.org
Tuesday, 3/25: Press Conference in Albany to Increase Oversight of Prisons and Jails in New York
From Marcy to Rikers, Correctional Facilities Across the State Are in Crisis, with Death Tolls on the Rise
Community & Faith Groups Gather in Albany to Demand NY Legislature Pass S.856 – Salazar/A.2315 – Gallagher to Expand and Diversify the State Commission of Correction
New York, NY – Today Tuesday, March 25th at 10:30 AM people directly impacted by jails and prisons in New York, along with community and faith groups and elected officials, will hold a press conference to demand increased oversight of jails and prisons. Speakers will call on the New York State Legislature to swiftly pass (S. 856)-Salazar / (A.2315)-Gallagher, which will expand and diversify the State Commission of Correction (SCOC).
With the recent killing of Robert Brooks and Messiah Nantwi in state prisons, and four deaths at Rikers this month, this is a critical moment. The State Commission on Correction is an independent body mandated with the constitutional authority to ensure that correctional facilities across New York – all local jails and state prisons – are “safe, stable and humane,” but for more than 20 years the SCOC has consistently failed to meet its responsibility. That’s why we’re working on legislation to fix the SCOC by bringing greater accountability so that it meets its mandate with regard to jails and prisons throughout the state.
WHAT: Press Conference in Albany to Increase Jail and Prison Oversight
WHEN and WHERE: Tuesday, March 25th at 10:30 AM on the 4th Floor of the Capitol (State St. and, Washington Ave, Albany, NY 12224).
WHO: Community Organizations, People Directly Impacted by Rikers, Faith-Based Groups, Elected Officials, Advocates, and More
WATCH LIVE ON INSTAGRAM: @katalcenter
Support for this legislation is growing; currently nearly 60 community, advocacy, legal, and faith-based organizations have signed on in support of the immediate passage for (S. 856) -Salazar / (A.2315)-Gallagher. There are currently 32 co-sponsors in the Assembly and 6 in the Senate. This legislation is moving in Albany, this bill advanced out of the Senate Crime, Crime Victims, and Correction Committee and is now in Senate Finance. The Assembly bill is in the Correction Committee. In the Governors budget proposal, she increases funding for the SCOC by $3 million (nearly double their current budget).
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