FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, February 25, 2025
Contact: Yonah Zeitz: yonah@katalcenter.org • 347-201-2769
Follow on socials @KatalCenter • #ShutRikers #CutShutInvestNY
With Jails and Prisons Across New York in Dire Crisis, Community Group Heads to Albany Today to Demand Action
Legislation S856 (Salazar)/ A2315 (Gallagher) Would Expand & Diversify Membership of the State Commission of Correction to Foster Greater Oversight and Accountability to its Mandate
New York, NY: Within the last week alone, two people have died in New York City jails, and one person died in state prison, underscoring the crisis unfolding in correctional facilities across the state. Last night, news broke that Terrence Moore died while in custody of the New York City Department of Correction (DOC) – the second death this week. And over the weekend, Jonathon Grant died at the Auburn Correctional Facility. This death follows two weeks of a wildcat strike by correctional officers in New York’s prisons that has caused conditions to further deteriorate behind bars. This week, ten prison guards were also charged with murder and manslaughter for the brutal killing of Robert Brooks at Marcy Correctional Facility.
The entity responsible for oversight of corrections facilities in New York, the State Commission of Correction, is clearly failing its constitutional mandate to ensure that state prisons and local jails are “safe, stable, and humane.”
There is legislation moving in Albany which would foster greater accountability by the commission to meet its mandate. S856 (Salazar) /A2315 (Gallagher) expands the number of members on the State Commission of Correction (SCOC) and codifies the manner of confirmation of such members to diversify the commission.
Katal members – including those who have been incarcerated and the family members of incarcerated people – are in Albany today to demand lawmakers take immediate action to save lives by swiftly passing S856 (Salazar) /A2315 (Gallagher).
Quotes from community groups and impacted community members:
Tawana Harris, Member of the Katal Center for Equity, Health, and Justice, said: “There are so many individuals detained in jails and prisons that have or currently are at risk of losing their lives. When my son was incarcerated at Rikers, I was constantly worried about his well-being. When news broke about a death in NYC jails, my heart would always drop. My heart goes out to all the parents who have lost their children at the hands of this cruel criminal legal system. I am infuriated that Mayor Eric Adams has sat idly by while people continue to die behind bars. Under his watch, at least 35 people had died in city jails. This is unacceptable. The Mayor needs to be removed immediately! The legislature must act quickly and pass the bill (S856 / A2350) to expand & diversify the States Commission of Corrections. This is a necessary step to keep people safe who are detained in state correctional facilities and local jails like Rikers. They have the power to ensure that the constitutional rights of people detained are being protected, and if they aren’t, they can mandate to shut down the facility. As is the needed Rikers Island that for decades has violated people’s basic rights and must be shut down. I urge the legislature to immediately pass this legislation our families need it.”
Robin Lawrence, Member of the Katal Center, said: “Our brothers and sisters are dying at Rikers Island. It is horrific that in the span of a week, two lives have been lost. Under the Adams administration, at least 35 individuals have died in NYC jails. It is sickening that the Mayor has refused to address this crisis and is actively working to keep Rikers open. I send my deepest condolences to those who have lost a loved one behind bars. I know what it’s like to have a loved one who is incarcerated and constantly worrying about their safety. There is no time to waste, and now more than ever, state-level reforms are needed to hold the NYC mayor accountable for shutting down Rikers. I urge the state legislature to pass the bill S856/ A2350 to diversify and expand the State Commission on Correction immediately!
Melanie Dominguez, organizing director for 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. Like tens of thousands of other New Yorkers, our members have experienced firsthand the horrors of local jails like Rikers and state prisons like Auburn and Marcy. Our members demand swift action to stem the violence, abuse, and mismanagement, or more New Yorkers will die behind bars.
As each new horrific scandal or death emerges in local jails or state prisons, it underscores the failure of the State Commission of Correction to fulfill its constitutional mandate to ensure that correctional facilities across the state are ‘safe and humane.’ It’s time to end the violence, chaos, and deaths. The New York legislature must take swift action to move this bill, S856 (Salazar) / A2315 (Gallagher), forward and deliver it to the governor’s desk.”
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