Prisoner death spurs plan for state policy reforms by New York governor

After reported fatal beating of Robert Brooks, Kathy Hochul says she will not be ‘satisfied’ until system’s culture shifts

New York’s governor, Kathy Hochul, announced a number of policy changes to the state’s department of corrections and community supervision (DOCCS) on Monday, following the release of brutal footage showing correctional guards apparently beating a detained man to death.

Hochul visited the Marcy correctional facility following the death of Robert Brooks, an imprisoned Black man who was beaten by facility correctional staff in a medical examining room. During her visit, Hochul met with prisoners to discuss the facility’s conditions and announced the appointment of a new permanent superintendent for the Marcy prison.