Requires institutions and local correctional facilities to adhere to certain surveillance, recording and investigation standards

• Democratic14

◆ The sponsor's argument

Why Julia Salazar says this is needed

The need for stronger surveillance, recording, and investigation stand- ards in correctional facilities has never been clearer and more urgent. Recent investigations into allegations of widespread sexual abuse and physical violence within New York correctional facilities at the state and local level highlight a systemic failure to prevent, investigate, and hold accountable those responsible for such abuses. The lack of comprehensive surveillance and accessible records have allowed miscon- duct, including sexual assault by correction officers, to persist unchecked, undermining detainee safety and violating federal guidelines such as the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA). The failure, for example, on the part of New York City to investigate these allegations not only violates PREA but also creates an environment where detainees are vulnerable to further abuse. Given that nearly 60% of the lawsuits filed under the Adult Survivors Act stem from assaults at Rikers, the current system clearly lacks the necessary oversight to prevent such crimes. Additionally, the Correctional Association of New York's 2023 Grievance Report details a broken complaint system in which incarcerated individ- uals face retaliation for reporting misconduct, and grievances are routinely dismissed, delayed, or misclassified to protect correction officers. This lack of transparency and accountability fosters a culture of impunity, further necessitating stringent surveillance requirements. The 2024 death of Robert Brooks at Marcy Correctional Facility-who was fatally beaten by corrections officers while handcuffed- and the 2025 death of Messiah Nantwi at Midstate Correctional Facility demonstrate the broader crisis of violence within New York's correctional system. Many facilities lack adequate surveillance, and officers frequently disable or fail to wear body cameras, undermining efforts to hold abus- ers accountable. This bill directly addresses these failures by: *Mandating comprehensive camera coverage in all correctional facilities, ensuring that blind spots where abuse occurs-such as storage rooms and recreation areas - are monitored. *Requiring body-worn cameras for all correctional staff on duty, preventing officers from evading accountability through unrecorded interactions. *Implementing strict retention policies for footage, ensuring evidence is not lost or tampered with in cases of reported misconduct. *Granting detainees' and incarcerated individuals' legal counsel and investigators timely access to surveillance footage, preventing delays that hinder justice. *Establishing penalties for facilities that fail to maintain adequate surveillance, ensuring compliance with these protections. The continued presence of officers accused of violence, including sexual violence, within correctional facilities is unacceptable. The refusal or inability of the City or State correctional agencies to properly inves- tigate or discipline such officers further exacerbates the trauma of survivors and signals to other victims that their reports will be ignored. These failures also signal to other officers that they can engage in such conduct with impunity. Without immediate legislative action to increase oversight through mandatory surveillance, detainees and incarcerated individuals will remain at risk, and systemic abuse will continue. This bill is a crucial step toward restoring justice, preventing future violations, and upholding the dignity and rights of incarcerated indi- viduals. The state of New York must act decisively to ensure that no detainee or incarcerated individual suffers abuse due to the failures of the governmental entities to take active steps to eliminate such staff violence.

This is the sponsor's own case for the bill, quoted from their memorandum. It is not Agora's description of what the bill does.