We are appalled and disheartened that the corrections officers charged with the protection of Mr. Brooks took turns brutally battering him in a manner that resulted in his subsequent death, while others stood by and did not intervene. We commend New York State Attorney General Letitia James for quickly releasing the officers’ body camera footage that bears witness to the heartless beating Mr. Brooks suffered on December 9, 2024, and Governor Hochul for repeated calls for swift legal action.
While we respect the dozens of New York lawmakers demanding the closure of Marcy Correctional Facility who feel policy change will not be sufficient and see closure as a step towards accountability, we strongly believe that this incident reflects a bigger issue of systemic abuse that people face from our criminal justice system. Closing a single correctional facility will not address the root causes of violence, systemic racism, or lack of accountability in the state’s prison system. Instead, we need to analyze how to reform the criminal justice system and implement those reforms, so that people inside these correctional facilities do not continue to face violence.
At the same time, closing the Marcy Correctional Facility has the potential to result in further harm to our upstate New York community. We have to consider the logistical and operational work it takes to close a correctional facility down, including how it could affect our economy,
creating fiscal stress for the community. This includes factors such as where incarcerated individuals will be transferred to and whether their families can visit them, which is important given the benefits of family contact and strong family ties. It is also important to consider where
those employed at Marcy will be able to find a job in a region without sufficient employment to absorb this work force, the impact on employees’ families who are living in this community, and much more.
The Oneida County Branch of the NAACP joins Governor Hochul in demanding justice for Mr. Brooks, and legal redress for all those involved in his death, with no further delay. However, closing the Marcy Correctional Facility will not resolve the systemic issues happening within our correctional facilities which require reforms. We call for action to address those issues and would applaud a package of legislative reforms to more broadly improve the treatment of incarcerated individuals and ensure accountability for misconduct officials in our criminal justice system commit.
