"Our work is never finished, and I will not stop striving to ensure correctional facilities are safe for everyone," New York Governor Kathy Hochul stated in a 19/12 announcement, emphasizing that everyone "deserves to be safe, whether working there or serving a sentence."

Governor Hochul's new reform package, which the state legislature is expected to approve in early 2026, mandates 24/7 surveillance camera installation in all prison areas, excluding inside cells, bathrooms, and restrooms. In this year's budget plan, Hochul allocated 400 million USD to enhance prison surveillance systems.

Governor Kathy Hochul speaks in Albany, New York on 20/2. Photo: AFP

New York state must also shorten the notification period for families of inmates who die in custody and provide surveillance footage to investigative agencies.

The new law expands and diversifies the New York State Commission of Correction, the agency overseeing and managing the prison system. It also facilitates easier investigation of in-custody deaths by the attorney general's office.

Hochul's decision comes amid prolonged instability within the New York prison system, marked by severe understaffing and paralysis from weeks of spontaneous guard strikes earlier this year.

During that period, she deployed approximately 7,000 National Guard soldiers to assist in operating several correctional facilities. This action heightened tensions and drew strong reactions from some guards and New York legislators.

The impetus for these reforms originated in 12/2024, when the New York state government released video footage from Marcy correctional facility. The video showed guards beating inmate Robert Brooks, who was handcuffed at the time, to death.

Brooks' death enraged Governor Hochul, who called for the dismissal of the involved guards and a nurse. A total of 10 guards were indicted, with six facing murder charges.

Robert Brooks before being beaten to death by staff at Marcy correctional facility on 9/12/2024. Photo: NBC

Three months later, a similar incident occurred when inmate Messiah Nantwi, at a facility near Marcy correctional facility, was brutally attacked by guards and died. 10 guards were indicted in this case, including two charged with murder.

Over the past 10 years, New York guards have been accused of more than 120 serious acts of violence, considered torture. These acts include punching, kicking, stomping, or even waterboarding inmates, all while the victims were handcuffed or restrained. Many cases shared similarities with the incidents that led to the deaths of Brooks and Nantwi.

State Senator Julia Salazar, who led efforts to advance the bill, described it as a "serious step" toward reducing violence in New York prisons, though it did not meet all expectations. Jennifer Scaife, Executive Director of the New York Correctional Association, called the legislation a "major step in the right direction," stating that the scope of issues addressed in one bill is "very significant" and provides a foundation for subsequent reforms.

Thanh Danh (According to Times, Spectrum Local, NYFocus)