Governor Kathy Hochul visited Marcy Correctional Facility on Monday, demanding accountability from interim leadership following the death of Robert Brooks, who was killed in an apparent attack within the facility. Hochul announced immediate corrective actions aimed at addressing systemic failures and ensuring the safety of both incarcerated individuals and staff.
“Today, as I stood in the room where Robert Brooks was killed, I was once again heartbroken by this unnecessary loss of life and further sickened to think of the actions of depraved individuals with no regard for human life,” Hochul said. “The system failed Mr. Brooks, and I will not be satisfied until there has been significant culture change.”
Among the immediate reforms, Hochul appointed Bennie Thorpe, Superintendent of Shawangunk Correctional Facility, as the new permanent Superintendent of Marcy Correctional Facility. Thorpe, a veteran in corrections leadership, brings decades of experience and a fresh perspective, having never served at Marcy or nearby facilities.
Additionally, Governor Hochul announced the expedited deployment of over $400 million for fixed and body-worn cameras across all facilities. The initiative, already underway, will ensure correction officers activate cameras during all interactions with incarcerated individuals.
To improve oversight and accountability, Hochul ordered the addition of staff to the Office of Special Investigations, ensuring timely responses to complaints and swift disciplinary action where necessary. An external firm will also conduct a comprehensive review of the culture, patterns, and practices across New York’s correctional system.
The whistleblower hotline will be expanded to allow anonymous reporting from staff, contractors, and incarcerated individuals, while $2 million will be allocated to enhance partnerships with the Correctional Association of New York for independent oversight.
Further initiatives include partnerships with AMEND, a public health and human rights program focused on cultural improvements in prisons, and Chicago Beyond, which will conduct a safety gap analysis across facilities to identify best practices.
Governor Hochul also announced the creation of a dedicated unit on The Future of Prisons in New York State within the Council of Community Justice. This unit will address long-term strategies, including staffing, health care, economic impacts on prison towns, and facility modernization.
These reforms build on earlier directives from Hochul, including the termination process for 14 individuals involved in Brooks’ death, enhanced body-worn camera policies, and increased leadership presence during shifts.
“I told both Marcy leadership and the incarcerated individuals I met with that every single individual who enters a DOCCS facility deserves to be safe, whether they are employed there or serving their time,” Hochul said. “The system must change, and we are taking the necessary steps to ensure that happens.”
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