Albany, New York – Today, the New York Senate and Assembly passed the Prison Reform Omnibus Bill (Senate Bill 8415), which aims to reform New York’s violent and abusive prisons by increasing accountability, oversight, and transparency. A majority of the bills wrapped into this package are sponsored by Senator Salazar. 

Senator Julia Salazar, Chair of Crime Victims, Crime and Correction, released the following statement: “With the today's passage of the Prison Reform Omnibus Bill, I’m thinking of Robert Brooks, Messiah Nantwi, and their loved ones. For decades, New York’s state prisons have been plagued by a systemic pattern of racism, staff violence towards incarcerated individuals, and human rights abuses, with little to no accountability or oversight. Just within the last six months, correction officers murdered two young Black men. In December, we watched video footage of prison staff brutally murdering Robert Brooks. Then this past March, we learned correction officers murdered Messiah Nantwi. We know there are countless others whose names we don’t know or who have not received the same level of attention. This bill is a serious step toward finally reforming our prisons. There is more work to do, including an expansion of pathways for release, but this is progress, it will make a difference, and I’m proud to stand behind it. I urge Governor Hochul to sign this into law.” 

Robert Brooks Jr., son of Robert Brooks, said the following: “It’s encouraging that the legislature has taken these steps to improve oversight of our prisons. The rampant abuses that occur by correction officers when no one is watching must stop. I am grateful to Senator Salazar for advocating for incarcerated New Yorkers.” 

Messiah Ramkissoon, mentor to Messiah Nantwi and Associate Executive Director of Youth Justice Network, released the following: "On behalf of Youth Justice Network, I commend Senator Salazar and leaders of the BPHA Caucus for advancing Senate Bill 8415.  Not a day goes by where we don’t think about Messiah Nantwi, age 22, killed by the very people who were meant to protect him. I think about his intelligence, his promise, and the fact that he told us it was easier for him to get a gun in his neighborhood than it was to get a book. The Omnibus package includes important steps which reflect the political will to act in the wake of the brutality against Robert Brooks and Messiah Nantwi who were killed in and at the hands of State custody.  We urge our elected leaders to continue to forge courageously forward to prioritize public safety and rehabilitation in meaningful, long-term ways - through investments in youth development, sentencing and parole reforms." 

Melanie Dominguez and Yonah Zeitz, Organizing and Advocacy Directors of the Katal Center for Equity, Health, and Justice released the following:"Correctional facilities across the state, from prisons to local jails, are marked by violence, abuse, and torture. Following the brutal murders of Robert Brooks and Messiah Nantwi in state prisons, it is clear that New York’s correctional watchdog agency, the State Commission of Correction, is failing to fulfill its constitutional mandate to ensure that prisons and jails across the state are ‘safe, stable, and humane.’ Katal members, many of whom are formerly incarcerated or have loved ones currently incarcerated in jails and prisons from Buffalo to New York City, have demanded an overhaul of the Commission. Today, we applaud Senator Salazar for sponsoring critical legislation to reform the Commission, and we thank Leader Stewart-Cousins and the Senate for including reforms to the Commission as part of this omnibus package. New York needs and deserves an effective independent watchdog for its correctional facilities, and passage of these reforms are an important step to address the horrific and life-threatening conditions incarcerated people face in jails and prisons in our state.” 

Megan French-Marcelin, Senior Director of NYS Policy, Legal Action Center released the following: “The whole of New York State, and indeed the nation, bore witness to the unconscionable murder of Robert Brooks at the hands of corrections officers. Three months later, we learned corrections officers beat to death another young man: Messiah Nantwi. While we continue to push for legislation that creates pathways home for New Yorkers, primarily Black and brown, who are languishing behind the walls as a result of decades of draconian justice policy, we must ensure that no longer will this level of impunity be allowed to occur in the dark. The omnibus package is a step forward in creating accountability and oversight for a system that for far too long has lacked both. We applaud Senator Salazar’s tireless efforts to ensure that we achieve transparency in all of these institutions.” 

The Prison Reform Omnibus Bill Includes: 

S.S3653 (Bailey) / A4028 (Cruz): Video Footage Disclosure to Attorney General of a CO-involved Death with Amendment: Requires the disclosure of video footage related to the death of an incarcerated individual involving a correctional officer to the attorney general's office of special investigation. (Part A) 

S.7312 (Salazar) / A.7014 (Tapia): Camera Blind Spots: Requires prisons and local jails to have 24/7 surveillance cameras in all areas of the facility, with the exception of the interiors of cells, showers, and toilet areas. (Part B) 

S.5680 (Salazar) / A 1010A (Epstein): Notice of Death: Requires prompt notification to the public and next of kin when someone dies in DOCCS’ custody. (Part C) 

S.3853 (Sanders) / A.5982 (Dilan): Study of Deaths in DOCCS: Directs the State Commission of Correction to conduct a study on deaths in state prisons over the last 10 years, to provide data-driven insights and recommendations to improve conditions, healthcare, and protective policies. (Part D) 

S2510 (Salazar): Terry Cooper Autopsy Accountability Act: Requires autopsy reports to include all photographs, microscopic slides and post-mortem X-rays when someone dies or is killed in a state prison or jail. (Part E) 

Conflicts within the AG’s Office: Sets guardrails to alleviate conflicts of interest in the Office of Special Investigations in the State Attorney General’s office. (Part F)  

S.8249 (Cleare) / A.8573 (Dilan): OSI Data Reporting: Requires DOCCS to collect and report data quarterly to the Legislature and the Governor on complaints received and their outcomes. (Part G) 

S.856 (Salazar) / A.2315 (Gallagher): SCOC Expansion: Expands and diversifies the commissioners on the State Commission of Correction and requires that they include a formerly incarcerated person, and people with expertise in behavioral health, mental health, and prisoners’ rights litigation. (Part H) 

S.651A (Salazar) / A.3781A (Weprin) Correctional Association of New York (CANY) Authority Expansion with Amendment: Authorizes the Correctional Association of New York (CANY) to visit facilities without notice and expand their access to records and information. (Part I) 

S.844A (Salazar) / A.694A (Cruz): Tolling of the Statute of Limitations while in State Custody with Amendment: Suspends the statute of limitations for incarcerated people until three years after they are released from state custody to ensure that any legal claims they have related to physical, psychological or other injury or condition suffered in custody aren’t forfeited. (Part J)