Thomas Gant, Community Organizer at Center for Community Alternatives (CCA), said “I testified at the Joint Hearing alongside Robert Ricks, the father of Robert Brooks, because accountability after death is not enough, creating an environment so this doesn’t happen again is. The murders of Robert Brooks and Messiah Nantwi exposed a violent prison culture that has been allowed to thrive for far too long, and a few prosecutions alone, will not make our prisons safer. If New York is serious about transforming this culture, we must give people something tangible like meaningful opportunities to earn their way home and mechanisms to address excessive sentences. Passing the Earned Time Act and the Second Look Act are concrete, proven ways to reduce violence, restore hope, and create safer environments for everyone: incarcerated people, staff, and our communities.” 

Antony Gemmell, Supervising Attorney at Prisoners’ Rights Project, said “This report lays bare what tens of thousands of incarcerated New Yorkers have long known: our state’s prisons are rife with abuse, neglect, and racism, sustained by a culture of impunity that continues to cost lives. By rigorously documenting how these failures persist, the report provides a vital reckoning and offers a clear roadmap for action. It makes plain that the Legislature must act without delay to reduce incarceration, expand pathways to release, and strengthen transparency, oversight, and accountability.” 

"As we enter 2026, the crisis in our state prison system continues unabated. Programming and visitation remain disrupted, while incarcerated people endure ongoing abuses and repeated violations of their human rights," said Megan French-Marcelin, Sr Director of NYS Policy at Legal Action Center. "This moment lays bare a truth we have long known: our prison system is rooted in racism and systemic violence that have no place in a just society. This report offers both a reckoning with that history and a clear-eyed assessment of the present crisis. In this legislative session, we must advance an agenda of release—using every available mechanism to ensure New Yorkers can return safely to their families and communities." 

Serena Martin, Executive Director of New Hour for Women and Children, said “Behind every finding in this report is a person who was harmed, ignored or silenced by a system that is supposed to ensure safety and dignity. This report confirms what incarcerated people and their loved ones have been saying for years: violence, neglect, and impunity are not failures of New York’s prison system — they are features of it. The State cannot continue to ignore the human cost of unchecked abuse and unlawful confinement. Real oversight, full implementation of the HALT Act, reproductive justice which includes allowing infants to remain with their incarcerated parent through the CARE Act and pathways to release are not optional; they are a matter of life and death.”  

Jose Saldana, Director of the Release Aging People in Prison Campaign (RAPP) and a survivor of 38 years in prison and a crime survivor, said “Senator Salazar hits the nail on the head: The racist brutality of the prison system is endemic, and cover-ups are orchestrated by the entire system—from the prison guards and sergeants to the superintendents and the various governmental oversight bodies. The system is designed to protect prison staff who perpetuate this violence. Post-Attica reforms, including the grievance system, have been whittled into nothing. In my 38 years of incarceration, I knew every day that the only real protection I had was the hope of one day being released back to my family and community. Lawmakers now know that Robert Brooks' murder is not an isolated incident but part of a human rights crisis created by the legacy of racism. We applaud Senator Salazar for laying out a clear agenda, including passage of the Fair & Timely Parole Act, Elder Parole Act, and sentencing reforms, as well as fully implementing the HALT Solitary Law, and we urge her colleagues in government to enact the full agenda immediately in the coming legislative session.” 

"The murders of two incarcerated people followed by an unauthorized work stoppage in New York’s prison system laid bare a crisis years in the making," said Jennifer Scaife, Executive Director of the Correctional Association of New York. "The Prison Reform Omnibus Bill and expanded camera coverage represent vital progress under the leadership of Chairs Salazar and Dilan, and we applaud them for addressing concerns identified in our monitoring. In the new year, we look forward to working with the Legislature and the Executive for sustained action to shift prison culture and improve the quality of life for incarcerated individuals and staff alike." 

Jerome R. Wright, Co-Director of the HALT Solitary Campaign, said “There is a longstanding and acute crisis of racist brutality, torture, and death in New York State’s prisons. I’ve personally experienced this. People are being lynched, beaten, sexually assaulted, waterboarded, suffocated with plastic bags, thrown in solitary confinement as cover-up, and killed. If this was any other state agency or institution, people would have been released, and those facilities shuttered. We are grateful to Senator Salazar and the legislature for this hearing and this report. Now the Governor and legislature must act to carry out this report's recommendations and beyond. Prisons must finally and fully implement the HALT Solitary Law, and the Governor and legislature must expand pathways of release from these deadly prisons and transform the environments inside, including by enacting Elder Parole, Fair and Timely Parole, Rights Behind Bars, and Sentencing Reforms. Incarcerated peoples’ lives matter.” 

Yonah Zeitz, Advocacy Director at the Katal Center for Equity, Health, and Justice, said "Today's report highlights what our directly impacted members have long said: New York's jails and prisons are in crisis. At the May public hearing, our member Ziyadah Amatul-Matin testified that jails and prisons have failed to keep incarcerated people safe, and that families shouldn't have to grieve or worry daily about the well-being of their loved ones. The passage of the Prison Reform Omnibus Bill is a step in the right direction. Now, the Governor and the Legislature must swiftly and effectively implement these reforms to overhaul the State Commission of Correction (SCOC) and ensure the appointment of reform-oriented commissioners who will work aggressively to meet the SCOC’s mandate. As conditions on Rikers Island worsen, the legislature and the SCOC must urgently exercise their powers to address the crisis, reduce the jail population, and advance closure. We thank Senator Salazar for issuing today's report and will continue working with partners in the legislature this session to implement the key recommendations."