FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, March 25, 2025
Contact: Yonah Zeitz, yonah@katalcenter.org • 347-201-2769
Follow online: @katalcenter | #ShutRikers | shutrikers.org
Community, Advocacy & Faith Groups Gather with Elected Officials in Albany to Demand an Increase in Oversight of Prisons and Jails in New York
With Correctional Facilities Across the State in Crisis, the NY Legislature Must Pass S.856 – Salazar/A.2315 – Gallagher to Expand and Diversify the State Commission of Correction
Albany, NY – Today, people directly impacted by jails and prisons in New York, along with community and faith groups and elected officials, held a press conference on the 4th floor of the Capitol to demand increased oversight of jails and prisons. Speakers called 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.
This legislation will expand the number of commissioners from three to nine and distribute appointments among the Governor, the Senate, the Assembly, and the Correctional Association of New York. The appointment requirements would guarantee a diversity of backgrounds, including in public health, behavioral healthcare, prisoner’s rights litigation, and personal experiences of incarceration.
Nearly 60 community groups and directly impacted people across the state have called for Albany to pass this legislation, S856 (Salazar) /A2315 (Gallagher), and make the SCOC meet its mandate. The Senate should advance this bill out of the Finance Committee and the Assembly must advance this critical legislation out of the Corrections Committee.
Quotes from elected officials, community groups, and impacted community members:
Senator Julia Salazar, Chair of the Committee on Crime Victims, Crime, and Correction & Prime Bill Sponsor, said: “The suffering in New York’s jails and prisons is almost unimaginable. Our bill would help blunt this crisis by significantly increasing the SCOC’s capacities for overseeing the corrections system and intervening effectively. Otherwise, the commission lacks the resources necessary to fulfill its mandate. SCOC reform is common sense for prison safety and public safety. Now is the time to pass this important bill.”
Assemblymember Emily Gallagher, Prime Bill Sponsor, said: “New York’s prison and jail system is becoming increasingly deadly. We are seeing an unacceptable number of people enter our state facilities healthy and leave in a body bag. As the oversight body with statutory authority to investigate facilities and implement reforms, we should be hearing from the SCOC about how it plans to protect incarcerated people and save lives, but it’s been silent. We must push for real accountability and oversight by expanding the SCOC and ensuring it includes people with the experience and expertise to protect incarcerated people.”
Assemblymember Phara Souffrant Forrest, said: “The State Commission of Correction is supposed to protect the lives and dignity of people in our jails—but right now, it’s failing. If we’re serious about ending abuse and neglect in our jails, we need a commission with real teeth—independent, transparent, and accountable to the people. This bill from Assemblymember Gallagher and Senator Salazar will do just that and I’m proud to join them in calling for its passage.”
Assemblymember Jessica González-Rojas, said: “The recent increase in violence within New York’s prisons and jails highlights the urgent need for stronger oversight and accountability. The current State Commission of Correction, which only has three members, is insufficient to address the complexity of issues facing these facilities. By expanding the commission to nine members and ensuring more diverse professional expertise—including public health, behavioral healthcare, and former incarcerated individuals—we can bring new perspectives to improve oversight and address the systemic challenges in our prisons and jails. This bill would make progress in enhancing the Commission’s ability to monitor and enforce reforms in these facilities. I strongly urge my colleagues to pass this bill to ensure stronger, more effective oversight and improve conditions for incarcerated people across the state.”
Assemblymember Harvey Epstein, said: “The conditions within New York State jails and prisons are devastating and we need more comprehensive oversight. I am proud to cosponsor A2315 to increase the diversity of the perspectives and expertise of the commissioners on the State Commission on Corrections.”
Felix Ortiz, Member of the Katal Center for Equity, Health, and Justice, said: “I know firsthand how horrific the conditions are in jails and prisons across the state. Correction officers have no regard for human life and when they abuse their power they are not being held accountable. I’ve experienced abusive treatment at the hands of correctional officers and I’ve been put in solitary confinement. These are conditions that no human being should be subjected to. What’s worse is how they treat your family. When they visit they are treated with no respect almost as if they too are incarcerated. I had to ask my family to stop coming on visits because of how they were being treated. People being held behind bars are being failed and abused by the Department of Corrections. That is precisely why the SCOC bill needs to be passed to increase jail and prison oversight!”
Lah Franklin, Member of the Katal Center for Equity, Health, and Justice, 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 since it has gotten progressively worse. People are dying in alarming numbers. I send my deepest condolences to the family members who have lost a loved one behind bars. In NYC, there have been at least 37 people who have died under DOC custody since Mayor Adams took office. In state prisons, 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. These are human beings and they deserve care and compassion. It is shameful, that prison guards conducted an illegal strike to retaliate the indictment of the correctional officers that brutally murdered Mr. Brooks. They want to continue to harm our people and continue to put them in solitary confinement. This is where the line needs to be drawn. When it comes to people’s lives there is no negotiating. No one should be denied their right to live. Elected officials must realize that there is blood on their hands. Their inaction allows for these horrible conditions to continue. The legislature must swiftly pass legislation S865 / A5709 to increase jail and prison oversight!”
Rashida Tyler, Deputy Executive Director of the New York State Council of Churches and Rev. Jim Ketcham, Chair NYSCOC Criminal Justice Working Group, said: “Greater transparency and accountability within the correctional system at the state and local level is essential after the horrific murders of Robert Brooks and Messiah Nantwi in state custody, in addition to the deaths of incarcerated persons at Rikers Island it’s the least we can ask for. The fact that we have an entity, the SCOC, responsible for oversight and accountability and has the ability to stop the brutality within these facilities, but it has failed to live up to its mandate is emblematic of the failures of the system. How can we expect a system that refuses to rehabilitate itself to rehabilitate those in its care?”
Michael McQuillan, from the Brooklyn Heights Synagogue’s Social Justice Committee, said: “The State Commission on Corrections has blood on its hands for the lax oversight of state prisons and jails that left lethal conditions in place. S. 856/A. 2315 won’t undo the deaths of Robert Brooks, Messiah Mantwi, nor four more on Rikers Island. A conscience vote to pass these bills will make humane treatment the norm it should have been.”
Victor Pate, a survivor of the system and Co-Director of the HALTsolitary Confinement Coalition said: “Our prison and jails have operated for far too long as sites of racism and abuse with impunity for the treatment and conditions of our incarcerated human beings. In the aftermath of the recent brutal murders of two incarcerated persons, Robert Brooks and Messiah Nantwi and countless others, as well as the illegal Corrections Officers strike that killed at least nine people and left tens of thousands of people in life threatening conditions, it is way past the time for transformational change of this deadly system. New York must create meaningful pathways of release from these deadly prisons, protect basic human rights inside, and bring greater accountability. Our legislators must pass S856 (Salazar) A2315 (Gallagher) to bring greater transparency, DOCCS must carry out the full implementation of the HALT Solitary Law, Governor Hochul must expand her use of clemency, and our legislature must pass Rights Behind Bars, Elder Parole, Fair and Timely Parole, Second Look Act, Earned Time Act, Marvin Mayfield Act, End Qualified Immunity, Challenging Wrongful Convictions, Treatment Court Expansion, and more this legislative session.”
Merlene Darhley, Member of the Katal Center, said: “I am constantly worrying about the safety of my brother who is in the New York State Prison system. It shouldn’t have to be that way. Families shouldn’t have to be concerned about their loved ones dying behind bars because of the horrible conditions they are exposed to but this is the reality. Far too many people have died this year alone in state prisons. There are far too many loopholes for the Dept. of Correction staff and they get away with too much in many instances murder. Instead of killing our people, there should be more programs in the jails and prisons that help people while they’re in the system cope with their mental health, and programs that help you before leaving to set you up for life. That is why I am fighting for the passage of the SCOC legislation that would increase jail & prison oversight by expanding & diversifying the State Commission on Correction.”
David Z. Simpson, Co-Director of The Remedy Project, said: “The Remedy Project has consistently shined a light on the devastating reality of our prison system, where New York’s facilities stand out for their brutality and neglect. The destruction of incarcerated individuals’ mental, emotional, and physical well-being has stolen countless lives. Expanding the State Commission of Correction is not just a legislative step — it’s a moral imperative. Only with the inclusion of formerly incarcerated individuals, public health professionals, and others dedicated to justice can we dismantle the destructive mindset that has plagued our prisons for too long. The time for change is now.”
Anthony Maund, Member of the Katal Center for Equity, Health, and Justice, said: “As someone who has been incarcerated, I know first-hand all the horrible things that happen behind bars. This system does not work to rehabilitate you but it is there to destroy you. While incarcerated I have had many situations where a correctional officer has been extremely heavy-handed and used physical force on me. I’ve filed so many grievances, and none of them were heard. I am lucky to be out alive but that is not the case for so many others who have died behind bars. In December of 2024, Robert Brooks was brutally murdered at the hands of correctional officers at Marcy Correctional Facility. This is incredibly sad not only to the family of the person but they took someone important to the world. No one should have to fear for their lives while they are incarcerated. Family members shouldn’t have to worry about getting a call that their loved one has died. It needs to stop. I urge the legislature to immediately pass the SCOC bill, which expands and bolsters the State Commission of Correction to ensure they fulfill their constitutional mandate of ensuring correctional facilities are kept in ‘safe, stable, and human’ conditions.”
Amelia Scdoris, Community Organizer at Cabrini Immigrant Services of NYC, said: “Cabrini Immigrant Services of NYC stands firmly against the growing cooperation between local law enforcement and ICE. Our mission has always been to ensure that everyone, regardless of immigration status, is treated with dignity and respect. New York City has historically been a place of refuge for immigrants, and we must stay true to our sanctuary policies that protect the most vulnerable among us. Allowing ICE into Rikers Island and expanding local law enforcement partnerships with ICE is a direct violation of these values. We call on the State Commission of Correction to ensure that all correctional facilities in New York are safe, stable, and humane for everyone.”
Kevin Beckford, Senior Associate of Partnership & Engagement at the Pretrial Justice Institute, said: “New York’s jails and prisons have been operating in crisis for far too long, with lives lost and human dignity discarded. We must demand real oversight and accountability—not just empty promises. From Rikers to rural jails across New York, the conditions inside our correctional facilities are not just unconstitutional, they are inhumane. Expanding and diversifying the State Commission of Correction is a critical step toward justice. True public safety means ensuring that every person, incarcerated or not, is treated with dignity. If a facility cannot meet basic constitutional standards, it has no place.
The SCOC has had the power to stop these injustices for decades, yet it has failed time and time again. This legislation ensures that accountability is no longer optional. NY has an opportunity—and a responsibility—to make sure no more lives are lost to the failures of our criminal legal system. Reforming the SCOC is a step toward justice we cannot afford to ignore.”
Ziyadah Amatulmatin, Member of the Katal Center for Equity, Health, and Justice, said: “Our incarcerated loved ones are being abused, mistreated, medically neglected, and lastly murdered by this cruel criminal legal system disguised as Justice. My brother Ramadan Mubarak Ibn Abdul-Mateen passed away at a state prison titled Wende Correctional Facility from the excessive force and cruelty of Sergeant Randall. I continue to fight for justice for my deceased brother and for my son who is currently incarcerated. My son was scheduled to get medical attention in early March but a correctional officer told him he couldn’t because they were short-staffed. Access to medical care should not be an option but a right! Family members shouldn’t have to worry about getting a call that their loved one has died. It needs to stop. I urge the legislature to immediately pass the SCOC bill, which expands and bolsters the State Commission of Correction to ensure they fulfill their constitutional mandate of ensuring correctional facilities are kept in ‘safe, stable, and humane’ conditions.”
Lukee Forbes, Executive Director of We Are Revolutionary, said: “New York’s jails and prisons are death traps where organized violence, medical neglect, and abuse go unchecked. The State Commission of Correction (SCOC) has the power to shut down these inhumane facilities, yet it has failed to act, allowing preventable deaths to continue. No one deserves to die in a cage.
This bill would expand the SCOC, adding formerly incarcerated people, public health experts, and legal advocates to enforce real accountability. We cannot let another life be lost to this broken system. The time for action is now. Pass this bill before more blood is on your hands.”
Roni Minter, Founder of the The Freedom Unshackled Coalition, said: “The truth, if we dare to face it, is that the prisons and jails of New York are places where suffering is manufactured, where human beings are locked away and forgotten, their cries for dignity drowned beneath the weight of indifference. The recent killings of Robert Brooks and Messiah Nantwi behind prison walls, along with the brutality at Albany County Correctional Facility, are not isolated tragedies. They are the inevitable result of a system that has refused to see those it cages as fully human.
For over two decades, the State Commission of Correction (SCOC), charged with ensuring that these institutions are ‘safe, stable, and humane,’ has failed in its duty. It has turned its back, closed its ears, and refused to act. Now, in this moment of reckoning, we demand change. We demand that the New York State Legislature move swiftly to pass (S.856) Salazar, (A.2315) Gallagher, legislation that will expand and diversify the SCOC, forcing it to reckon with the lives it has ignored for far too long.”
Glory Gibson, Member of the Katal Center, said: “Every day there is a new story that comes out talking about how terrible the conditions are in NYS jails and prisons. I worry about my brother’s safety every single day. I worry about how he is surviving on Rikers. Sometimes they don’t feed him, or the food is cold. It is very difficult to get in contact with him to see how he is doing because they don’t let him use the phone. It is heartbreaking to learn that yet another person just passed away at Rikers. Another person is gone, just like that. Our people are being killed. Rikers is deadly and must be shut down now. Our elected officials must step up and pass Senate Bill S.856 and Assembly Bill A.2315 so the State Commission of Correction can fulfill its constitutional mandate to shut down jails and prisons like Rikers, that are failing to keep people from dying. We need action now.”
Yonah Zeitz, Advocacy Director of the Katal Center for Equity, Health, and Justice: “Right now, the conditions in New York’s jails and prisons are horrific and life-threatening for incarcerated people. People are dying at alarming rates and the State Commission of Correction (SCOC) has consistently failed to meet its constitutional mandate to ensure that correctional facilities across the state are ‘safe and humane.’ At a time when heightened jail and prison oversight is urgently needed, the Commission has completely fallen flat while the death tolls soar.
The heinous killing of Robert Brooks and Messiah Nantwi in state prisons is emblematic of the systemic issues of violence, abuse, and torture occurring under the SCOC’s watch. Same goes for the four deaths at Rikers Island this month and the continued abused incarcerated people face in local jails across New York. Katal members – many of whom are formerly incarcerated or have loved ones currently incarcerated in jails and prisons across the state – demand swift action to stem the violence and abuse, or more New Yorkers will die behind bars.
The New York legislature must take swift action now to save lives. No family should have to go through this. No more deaths. Now is the time, we demand action! The NY Assembly must take a decisive first step by adding this bill to the next Corrections Committee and moving it forward. The Senate Finance must also move this bill forward so the full Senate can take up and pass this measure. We urge the Legislature to act quickly and deliver this bill to the governor’s desk. Lives are at stake and there’s no time to waste.”
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