All state prison security staff will be equipped with body cameras by summer, following the fatal beating of incarcerated man Robert Brooks in December. Lawmakers pressed Corrections Commissioner Daniel Martuscello III during a budget hearing, as video footage revealed officers at Marcy Correctional Facility assaulted Brooks before his death, ruled a homicide. Some officers failed to activate their cameras, prompting demands for reform.
Gov. Kathy Hochul’s budget includes $400 million to equip the remaining 17 prisons. Meanwhile, 16 staffers remain suspended, but no charges have been filed. Martuscello supports stronger accountability measures, including whistleblower protections and changes to disciplinary policies.
With violent incidents rising and staffing shortages persisting, lawmakers are pushing for stricter oversight to prevent further abuses and ensure transparency in the state’s correctional system.
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