New York State To Release 700 Prisoners Early

New York State prison plan to release hundreds of prisoners early. Over the next four months, the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision plans to release low-level offenders ahead of their scheduled release dates. Commissioner Daniel Martuscello sent out a memo on Monday, April 1, 2025, detailing the plan to prison leaders.

New York State prisons have had quite a few issues lately. Two inmates have allegedly been beaten to death by corrections officers within the past several months. Most recently, Messiah Nantwi was beaten to death by corrections officers according to multiple witness accounts, the same day striking guards were to return to work. There seems to be a culture of violence within the staff and leadership within New York State prisons. Nantwi's death comes just months after Robert Brooks was beaten to death while in handcuffs by prison guards. Ten guards have been indicted in Brooks' brutal death. Many believe that the illegal strike by corrections officers in New York was designed to distract from the horrific death that Brooks suffered.

Now, just a few months later, 15 prison workers have been placed on leave in connection with the death of Messiah, who was killed in custody at Mid-State Correctional Facility. The incident happened on Saturday, March 1, 2025.

READ MORE: Hundreds Of Sexual Assaults In New York Prisons

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Due to corrections officers breaking Taylor's Law by striking, 2,000 NYS corrections officers were fired recently. Strikes by public employees in New York are prohibited by Taylor's Law. The prison guards participating in the illegal strike want the HALT Act repealed. The act limits the use of solitary confinement, which community activists and prisoner advocates say helps protect incarcerated individuals from being abused.

In 2023, which is the most recent data, there were 1,671 assaults on staff in prisons around New York State. There was a 13 percent increase in violence against staff members from 2022 to 2023. As far as assaults on incarcerated individuals, there were 2,112 in 2023, an increase of 42 percent from 2022, when there were 1,488 incarcerated individuals assaulted. Staff used 2,908 weapons in 2023, up 16 percent from 2022, when staff used 2,511 weapons. In 2024, prisoners filed 1,443 grievances against prison staff.

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New York State To Release Hundreds Of Prisoners

Due to a staffing shortage, the NYS DOCCS, plans to identify offenders with minor, non-violent charges. These prisoners will be released within the next 15 to 110 days. Any inmates convicted of sex crimes, violent or serious felonies such as murder, terrorism, and arson would not be eligible for early release. A spokesperson for Governor Kathy Hochul's office told ABC News, that the governor supports “efforts to safely address staffing shortages and personnel concerns.”

According to The Times Union, Governor Kathy Hochul is asking the New York State legislature for the power to close up to five prisons. She closed two prisons that were closed in 2024. New York State's prison population has been declining. In 1999, it was over 70,000, and it was down to around 33,500 in 2024, according to Syracuse.com. Closing five prisons would certainly cut down on the number of corrections officers needed.