ALBANY, N.Y. – The head of state prisons testified at a hearing called due to the death of Robert Brooks from Greece. Brooks died after body camera video showed he was beaten by a group of prison guards. One ex-guard pleaded guilty last week to manslaughter.
The hearing focused on body cameras, which captured the beating of Robert Brooks even though the guards didn’t actually turn them on. The system recovered video the cameras automatically take. The head of prisons says every guard in every prison will have one by the end of summer.
“The senseless murders of Robert Brooks and Messiah Nantwi at the hands of staff members is inexcusable,” said Commissioner Daniel Martuscello III of the NYS Dept. of Corrections.
In March 2025, 22-year-old Messiah Nantwi died at the Mid-State Correctional Facility in Marcy, NY, after being severely beaten by corrections officers. Two officers were subsequently charged with second-degree murder, and eight others with related offenses.
Martuscello was called to testify to a panel of state lawmakers. Julia Salazar, the chair of the Senate Crime Committee, asked what reforms should be implemented.
“I’ve re-instituted mortality report,” Martuscello said. “But in terms of our investments around fixed cameras, body worn cameras, I think that will help us capture evidentiary material.”
The state spent $15 million on body cameras. Assemblyman Demond Meeks from Rochester questioned Martuscello further.
Demond Meeks, (D) Rochester: “You mention two murders. Those were the two that were public. Were there any other murders in our correctional facilities across the state of New York?”
Daniel Martuscello: “No murders that I’m aware of other than those two.”
Demond Meeks: “So how many deaths have taken place this year?”
Daniel Martuscello: “46 have occurred this year.”
Meeks also asked about drug overdose deaths and the timeline for medical examiners to respond, but Martuscello did not have specific numbers or timelines.
This week, News10NBC reported the state is considering re-hiring some of the guards it fired for striking. However, the commissioner drew a line in the sand, stating that none of the strike leaders will ever get re-hired and those with a lot of discipline in their file will be out. They’re looking at 600 individual grievance cases, and guards that come back will be on a probation period with automatic firing if they strike again.
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