New York kicked off 2025 with state prisons regularly under the public eye. Body-worn camera footage showed the world how correctional officers allegedly beat Black New Yorker Robert Brooks to death. Prison staff then staged a wildcat strike across the state over safety conditions, costing the state millions. Another 10 prison guards were charged last month for the fatal beating of another Black New Yorker, Messiah Nantwi.
But does the newly finalized state budget commensurately address this state prison crisis? Thomas Gant, a community organizer at the Center for Community Alternatives (CCA) and a formerly incarcerated individual, says no.
“The governor didn’t seize and the commissioner didn’t seize on a great opportunity to make [some meaningful change in this] crisis-bred environment,” said Gant. “The budget was an opportunity for the governor to do that, and she didn’t. And it is very disappointing, because I do know that there were bills pushed by the Senate and Assembly, in particular the Earned Time and Second Look Act, to say, ‘Look, here’s the answer.’
“You need an answer to transform the prison culture? We have it [with] this work for us getting folks home and out of those dangerous and harmful environments, but more importantly, transform[ing] the culture that’s going on right now and there.”
The Earned Time Act bolsters “good time” and “merit time” laws to motivate rehabilitation programming participation and good “institutional” behavior by shaving off prison time. The Second Look Act allows judges to review and reduce excessive sentences. A third bill, the Marvin Mayfield Act, eliminates mandatory minimum sentences known for coercing guilty pleas.
Gant said prison safety starts with meaningful programming that sets the stage for reentry. He recalls ulterior motives like out-of-cell time as initial incentives for him, which later springboarded him toward a wide range of activities, from commissioning sports leagues to mentoring at-risk high schoolers.
Robert Ricks, the father of Brooks, is an open proponent for the three sentencing reform bills. “My son was denied his second chance,” Ricks said in March. “I believe if we had laws like the Second Look Act in place when my son was incarcerated, he would have been home long before they murdered him.”
According to Ricks, his son served eight years of his 12-year sentence before his death and initially engaged in programming ranging from getting his GED and obtaining sign language certification to taking maintenance training and horticulture classes — but then “time started doing him.”
New York’s excessive sentencing practices stem from the Rockefeller Drug Laws in the 1970s, which mandated mandatory minimums for narcotic sales throughout the state, and the 1994 crime bill, which drove mass incarceration federally. Such a history led to the disproportionate imprisonment of Black and Brown New Yorkers. Today, more than 105,000 children have a parent serving time in prison or jail in New York State, according to the Office of Children and Family Services.
The state legislature will tackle the sentencing reform laws as a priority in the remaining session, but they remained outside the budget. Research from the Vera Institute shows 74% of polled New Yorkers support the Earned Time Act and 68% support the Second Look Act.
To address the recent strikes, New York is set to lower the hiring age for correctional officers from 21 to 18. “No 18-year-olds should be in prison, period,” said Jerome Wright, co-director of the #HALTSolitary Campaign. “Whether they committed a crime or want to work there … you think it’s going to be less [abuse] by people who live in these rural communities who don’t know nothing about people coming into their facilities and who are coming to a culture of already-made violence and racism? You’re going to exacerbate it; you’re not addressing it.”
The state budget includes measures mandating constant body-worn camera usage during interactions with incarcerated individuals and allowing three prison closures over the next fiscal year. Oversight organizations like the New York State Commission of Correction and the independent Correctional Association of New York (CANY) received boosted funding.
“Through a landmark institutional investment of $3 million in new funding to support CANY’s monitoring activities and the enhanced responsibilities assigned to the State Commission of Correction, New York State has recognized the vital role that prison oversight plays in supporting transparency and accountability,” said CANY executive director Jennifer Scaife in a statement. “Likewise, CANY supports the enactment of a statewide body-worn camera program and the authorization for closure of up to three prisons. Both of these measures promise a shift toward a better-functioning, modernized system.
“We urge policymakers to ensure a transparent process when determining these prison closures and provide for a smooth transition for affected communities.”
State Sen. Julia Salazar said she is proud of the progress but believes the budget is “no means enough to reform our abusive and flawed prison system.” The Brooklyn legislator is the Second Look Act’s lead sponsor.
“For decades, correction officers have tortured incarcerated people with little to no accountability, and our parole system continues to leave thousands of rehabilitated people wasting away behind bars,” said Salazar in her statement. “After correction officers murdered Robert Brooks and Messiah Nantwi, we promised serious reform.
“In the month remaining before the end of this legislative session, I’m calling on lawmakers and the governor to enact substantial legislation that will increase oversight and accountability, end the rampant abuse happening inside of prisons, and expand pathways toward release.”
Tandy Lau is a Report for America corps member who writes about public safety for the Amsterdam News. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep him writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today by visiting https://bit.ly/amnews1.