Alliance Alert: We’re celebrating an important victory in the fight for justice: Last week, the New York State Senate passed S.856 (Salazar) for the second year in a row! This bill expands and strengthens the State Commission of Correction (SCOC)—the independent watchdog agency responsible for oversight of every jail and prison in New York.
This is a major step forward for accountability in our state’s correctional system, but the work is not done yet. Now, we must turn our focus to the Assembly and demand that they pass A.2315 (Gallagher) and deliver this bill to the Governor’s desk for her signature.
The need for this legislation could not be clearer. In the face of multiple crises behind bars—including the preventable deaths of Robert Brooks and Messiah Nantwi—New York must have a robust, independent watchdog that can investigate abuses, hold facilities accountable, and protect the rights and safety of incarcerated people.
That’s why over 100 community, advocacy, legal, and faith-based groups from across the state have signed on in support of this bill. Together, we are building a powerful movement for change.
What You Can Do Now:
- Contact the Assembly Corrections Committee: Take this quick online action created by our friends at Katal to email all committee members and urge them to advance A.2315 (Gallagher) without delay: Act Today!
- Add your organization to the list of supporters: Show our collective strength—sign on here!
- Spread the word: Share Katal’s press release featuring voices from community groups, directly impacted people, and elected officials.
Together, we are proving that change is possible when we stand united. Let’s keep the momentum going—push the Assembly to act and make oversight real in New York’s jails and prisons. See Katal’s update below for more information.
NY Senate Passes SCOC Bill
Last week, the New York State Senate passed S.856 (Salazar) for the second straight year! This bill expands and strengthens the State Commission of Correction (SCOC), the watchdog agency with investigative and oversight powers over every jail and prison in the state. This is a significant victory and a testament to our movement’s strength. Through collective action TOGETHER, we can change these harmful systems and uplift our communities. And we’re not done yet!
Check out this press release with quotes from community groups, directly impacted people, and elected officials to learn more! In the midst of multiple crises behind bars, New York needs and deserves an effective independent watchdog for its correctional facilities. That’s why over 100 community, advocacy, legal, and faith-based groups from across the state have signed on in support of this bill – click here to add your organization to the list of supporters.
Now, the New York Assembly must swiftly follow suit by passing A.2315 (Gallagher) and delivering the bill to the Governor’s desk for her signature. The next step in the process is getting the bill passed out of the Assembly Corrections Committee.
For more information on this bill, check out our fact sheet here. If you want to support efforts to increase jail and prison oversight, please reach out to Yonah at Yonah@katalcenter.org.
Yesterday’s SCOC Press Conference in Albany
Katal member Ziyadah Amutal-Matin speaking at the SCOC Press Conference in Albany, 5.28.25.
Yesterday, we held a press conference in Albany outside of the Alfred E. Smith State Building – where the State Commission of Correction (SCOC) meets – to demand an overhaul of the state’s jail and prison watchdog. Speakers at the rally called on the Assembly to swiftly pass A.2315-(Gallagher) before the end of session. Check out this press release for more details!
This press conference directly followed the SCOC’s May monthly meeting, during which the commission once again failed to mention or take action on the multiple crises unfolding in jails and prisons across New York. The meeting lasted less than two minutes, which highlights how out of touch this commission is. That’s why we must reform the SCOC’s membership and appointment process.
Check out coverage of the press conference in the NY Daily News, News10, and NNY360.
If you want to support efforts to increase jail and prison oversight please reach out to Yonah at Yonah@katalcenter.org.
Katal Op-ed’s This Week
On Tuesday, the Empire Report published an op-ed by our member Ziyadah Amatul-Matin and Assembly Member Emily Gallagher titled, “New York’s Prisons and Jails are Deadly. Expanding Oversight Will Save Lives.” The piece discusses the recent crisis in state prisons and the need to overhaul the State Commission of Correction. Here’s an excerpt:
“Incarceration is not intended to be a death sentence. The more than 32,000 community members serving time in state corrections deserve to know that a state body is overseeing these facilities and will intervene if their rights are violated. Up until now, the SCOC has not lived up to that mandate, but we believe that it can and must.”
This morning, the New York Amsterdam News published an op-ed by our executive director gabriel sayegh, titled: “With Rikers Island, Eric Adams has made a bad situation worse.” He discusses how the Adams administration has repeatedly bashed the plan to close Rikers, failed to meet all the legal deadlines, and has locked up even more people in the deadly jail complex. Here’s an excerpt:
“The results were predictable: When Adams took office, about 5,400 people were in jail citywide — predominantly Black, brown, and low-income New Yorkers, most of them held pretrial and many with serious mental health concerns. Today, more than 7,400 people are incarcerated — an increase of about 37%, according to the tracking tool from the Data Collaborative for Justice.
Since Adams became mayor, conditions in the jails have gone from bad to much, much worse and nearly 40 people have died while in Department of Correction custody. Rikers holds the grim distinction of being New York’s largest mental health institution.”
June NY Statewide Criminal Justice Reform Call
Join our June NY Statewide Criminal Justice Reform Call on Thursday, June 12th, 2025! This will be our last statewide call before the end of session and our summer break. We’re now in the final stretch of the session and hundreds of bills are getting passed everyday. There are still lots of criminal justice bills pushing to get across the finish line. On our call, we’ll discuss what’s happening at the end of the session and where things stand. We’ll be joined by organizers, advocates, and community members working on every aspect of criminal justice reform in the state.
Register to join us on Thursday, June 12th, from 12 – 1 pm.
If you have any questions about the statewide call or would like to be a presenter, please contact Yonah at Yonah@katalcenter.org.
Katal Quotes of the Week
These are some of the quotes we’re thinking about this week.
Solidarity is the enemy of all oppressions.” – Suzanne Pharr, from Homophobia: A Weapon of Sexism
“In order to invest in a new vision, a new way of living, we have to believe in each other and our capacity to create something better. Our belief in human potential must outweigh our fear of human failure. Our imaginations must be contagious.” – Kelly Hayes and Mariame Kaba, “Let this Radicalize You”, p.34
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Email: info@katalcenter.org Phone: 646.875.8822