New York Takes A Big Step Toward Safer Correctional Facilities
On Thursday, June 12, 2025, legislation was passed for changes to New York State's correction system.
According to the announcement from New York State Speaker Carl Heastie and Corrections Committee Chair Erik Dilan, this legislation is designed to improve safety for incarcerated individuals.
Security Camera Coverage
The bill includes security camera coverage, so all areas of the facility are visible for recording. Footage related to the death of an incarcerated individual involving corrections officers will be required to be disclosed to the attorney general’s office within 72 hours of the death.
The recent series of violent deaths within our prisons have indicated that change is needed to ensure our incarcerated individuals can serve their time and rejoin society without fearing for their lives. This legislation is an important step to improve accountability and improve prison safety. - New York State Speaker Carl Heastie
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Transparency and Accountability
Included in this legislation, according to the announcement, required the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision to notify the next of kin and any designated representative of an incarcerated individual of the circumstances surrounding their death and publish a public notice of the death on the department’s website.
Inspections of any state correctional facility by the Correctional Association of New York will now be permitted with a 24-hour notice, in addition to requesting any data or documentation covered by the Freedom of Information Act without filing a request if it’s related to their ability to conduct their duties.
The deaths of Robert Brooks and Messiah Nantwi should not have happened, full stop,” said Chair Dilan. But this bill is a first step into ensuring their deaths lead to a series of changes within the corrections system to improve public trust and safety. - New York State Corrections Committee Chair Erik Dilan
For more information on this new legislation, visit the New York Assembly website.