Correction officers fatally beat handcuffed prisoner in New York

In December 2024, Robert Brooks, a 43-year-old inmate, died a day after being brutally beaten by correctional officers at the Marcy Correctional Facility in Oneida County, New York. The incident occurred on December 9, just hours after Brooks was transferred from another prison. Body-worn camera footage released by the New York Attorney General's Office revealed that officers repeatedly punched and kicked Brooks while he was handcuffed, including kicking him with a shoe and lifting him by the neck. This shocking footage triggered outrage among the public, officials, and family of Brooks, highlighting severe misconduct within the corrections system. Following the incident, New York Governor Kathy Hochul ordered an immediate investigation into the actions of the correctional staff involved. As a result, her office announced plans to terminate the thirteen officers and a nurse implicated in the assault. Preliminary autopsy findings indicated that Brooks died due to asphyxia caused by neck compression, suggesting that the actions of the officers were directly responsible for his death. This case has drawn attention to ongoing issues of violence and brutality within correctional facilities across New York, raising questions about systemic failures in the treatment of inmates. External investigations by the FBI and the U.S. Department of Justice have also been initiated to evaluate the circumstances surrounding Brooks's death. The Correctional Association of New York previously documented allegations of pervasive staff violence and racial discrimination at the Marcy facility, adding to the scrutiny faced by the Department of Corrections. In response to the release of the videos, both state officials and the officers' union expressed their condemnation of the incident, calling for greater accountability and reform within the corrections system to ensure the safety and rights of inmates going forward.