Correctional Association of New York (CANY) Statement on the Release of Video Depicting the Killing of Robert Brooks at Marcy Correctional Facility
December 27, 2024
Contact: media@correctionalassociation.org
BROOKLYN, NY – The following statement can be attributed to Jennifer Scaife, Executive Director of the Correctional Association of New York (CANY):
“The body-worn camera footage depicting correctional officers killing Robert Brooks while handcuffed as other state employees look on is sickening and appalling, but not surprising given the reports of violence and abuse that the Correctional Association of New York (CANY) has documented at Marcy Correctional Facility and other prisons in the state.
Since the death of Robert Brooks, the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) has issued new policies that require the use of body-worn cameras in every staff interaction with incarcerated people, but only about a quarter of DOCCS facilities have body-worn cameras in operation. CANY has repeatedly recommended that the state expedite the installation of stationary cameras and the deployment of body-worn cameras systemwide. This tragedy must result in the implementation of this overdue reform.
While the use of body cameras in prisons may lead to fewer instances of extreme, life-threatening violence, they are not a cure-all. DOCCS must work with partners in and outside of government to address the systemic issues that allow such brutality to flourish, many of which have been described in CANY’s reporting following interviews with thousands of incarcerated people over the past few years alone. This moment demands a fundamental shift in culture inside correctional facilities and requires a commitment to transparency, accountability and lasting change at all levels.
Attorney General Letitia James has taken a significant step by making this footage public and Governor Kathy Hochul has appropriately taken swift action against those involved in this horrifying incident. CANY now urges both the Attorney General and the Governor to do everything in their power to seek justice in response to Mr. Brooks’ death.”
About the Correctional Association of New York:
CANY, under §146, of New York’s Correction Law, is charged with visiting and examining the state's correctional facilities to identify and report on prison conditions, the treatment of incarcerated individuals, and the administration of policy promulgated by the executive and legislature. Founded in 1844 by concerned citizens of the state and deputized by the state to provide monitoring and oversight of the state’s prisons in 1846, CANY is one of the first organizations in the country prescribed to administer civilian oversight of prisons.
