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New York Times
05-03-2025
- New York Times
15 N.Y. Prison Workers Placed on Leave as Inmate's Death Is Investigated
Gov. Kathy Hochul said on Tuesday that 15 corrections department employees had been put on leave in connection with the death of Messiah Nantwi, a 22-year-old inmate in a medium-security prison in central New York. Ms. Hochul said that while the matter was under investigation, 'early reports point to extremely disturbing conduct leading to Mr. Nantwi's death.' Nine prisoners interviewed by The New York Times said he died on Saturday after he was beaten by prison guards at Mid-State Correctional Facility in Marcy, N.Y., near Utica. His death followed the December killing of Robert Brooks, 43, at Marcy Correctional Facility, across the street from Mid-State. Ten officers have been criminally charged in Mr. Brooks's death. Six of them were charged with murder after footage from body-worn cameras showed them beating and choking Mr. Brooks. Mr. Nantwi was the seventh prisoner to die in a New York State facility since Feb. 17, when thousands of correctional workers began wildcat strikes at dozens of prisons across the state, leading to disarray throughout the system. At least one of the deaths was a suicide, and prisoners said two other people did not receive medical care in a timely manner. A prisons spokesman said on Tuesday that the seven people who have died also included two men who had been admitted to the Coxsackie Correctional Facility Regional Medical Unit weeks ago. Robert St. Ives, 71, died at the Albany Medical Center on Saturday and Zion Gregory, 25, died there on Monday. On Tuesday, Ms. Hochul said Mr. Nantwi's death pointed to the need for 'real systemic change within our correctional system.' She also attributed it in part to the strikes. 'As I've said for weeks, my top priority is the safety and well-being of all New Yorkers involved in the correctional system, from civilian employees to National Guard to correction officers to incarcerated individuals,' the governor said in a statement. 'The ongoing illegal work stoppage is a significant safety risk, and I once again reiterate the need for correction officers to return to work.' Daniel F. Martuscello III, the state corrections commissioner, said in a statement: 'This cannot continue and I will not allow these horrible acts to define us. It is time for this to end.' According to official records, Mr. Nantwi entered state custody in May and was serving a five-year sentence for second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, following a shootout with police officers in the South Bronx in 2021. He had also been indicted on murder charges in the death of Jaylen Duncan, 19, who was shot in Harlem in 2023 during a gang conflict, according to Manhattan prosecutors. Stan Germán, executive director of New York County Defender Services, which represented Mr. Nantwi, said his death was a sign that the prison system 'has been allowed to descend into a state of perfect corruption, one replete with disdain for human life.' In a statement, Mr. Germán described Mr. Nantwi as 'a bright, 22-year-old man whose dysfunctional violent upbringing left him with significant mental health challenges, but also with an unbroken spirit.' Mr. Nantwi died on Saturday morning, according to prison officials. The nine prisoners interviewed by The Times said he became upset when members of the National Guard, who are working in prisons during the strikes, began to conduct a security check in a housing area. Several prisoners said he had not been taking his psychiatric medications. When the check began, he left his cubicle and went to the shower area, where he was crying, the prisoners said. He initially refused to return to his cubicle when asked to do so by National Guard members, who then requested assistance from corrections officers. The officers arrived and loudly beat him in his cubicle, then dragged him down the hall and a flight of stairs, the prisoners said. He was shackled and handcuffed, and his face was bloody and swollen. The prisoners said National Guard members observed the beating, but did not intervene. One prisoner, Rodney Richards, said Mr. Nantwi 'was not recognizable.' Another prisoner, Michael Hummel-Parker, said Mr. Nantwi was making gurgling noises, which indicated to him that the man could not properly breathe. A third prisoner, Jerod Crosby, said he could see from his cell window either officers or medical workers giving Mr. Nantwi CPR inside an ambulance. The wildcat strikes broke out at nearly all of the state's 42 prisons over what corrections officers say are dangerous working conditions, staffing shortages and forced overtime. The strikes have not been sanctioned by the officers' union and were declared unlawful last month by a state judge, who ordered the strikers back to work. But most of the strikers have not gone back, and their labor action has caused a cascade of problems. At some facilities, meals and medical care have gone undelivered, and at others prisoners have been forced to go without showers or to miss court dates. In response, Ms. Hochul deployed 7,000 National Guard troops to work in the prisons, but many of the National Guard members have complained they have been given unclear orders and little support.
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Yahoo
15 prison staffers placed on leave following inmate death in New York
NEW YORK (AP) — Fifteen prison staffers have been placed on leave following the death of an inmate in New York state, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Tuesday The Democrat said the state department of corrections staffers were taken off the job at her direction as state police have launched a probe into the death of Messiah Nantwi at the Mid-State Correctional Facility on Saturday. 'While the investigation into this incident is ongoing, early reports point to extremely disturbing conduct leading to Mr. Nantwi's death and I am committed to accountability for all involved," she said in a statement. 'The people of New York extend our deepest condolences to Mr. Nantwi's family and loved ones.' See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. State police and corrections officials have declined to provide details of the incident other than to say the 22-year-old died at a hospital in Utica. But the New York County Defender Services, which had been representing Nantwi as he awaited trial in the killing of two men, said Monday that he suffered a 'violent senseless death at the hands of state corrections officers.' The office also described Nantwi as a 'bright' young man dealing with 'significant mental health challenges' following a 'dysfunctional violent upbringing.' Manhattan prosecutors say Nantwi shot and killed Jaylen Duncan, 19, on a Harlem street in April 2023. The following evening, they say, he shot and killed Brandon Brunson, 36, at a Harlem smoke shop after an argument. Nantwi had entered the state prison system last May and had been serving a five-year sentence for second-degree criminal possession of a weapon related to an exchange of gunfire with police officers in 2021. At the time he was shot multiple times, while the officers were uninjured. Hochul said Nantwi's death is a 'reminder of the need for real systemic change" within the state prison system. She noted she mandated the use of body-worn cameras, expanded whistleblower hotlines and brought in outside experts to conduct a review of the prison system in response to the December death of Robert Brooks, an inmate at the Marcy Correctional Facility. Six guards have been charged with murder in Brooks' death. The Mid-State prison is located across the street from the Marcy prison. Meanwhile, former inmates and their families and supporters rallied earlier Tuesday at the State Capitol in Albany in response to the latest prison death. 'This is not just about any one isolated tragedy. It is about generations of unchecked violence, racism, and impunity,' Thomas Gant, a community organizer with Center for Community Alternatives, said in a statement from the organizers after the event. 'It is about a prison system that operates as a death sentence for far too many. And it is about the urgent demand for accountability, justice, and freedom.' Hochul also implored corrections staff participating in a weekslong wildcat strike to return to work, calling the illegal work stoppage a 'significant safety risk.' Corrections officers began the walkout on Feb. 17 to protest working conditions. Last Thursday, Hochul announced a binding agreement between the state and officers' union to end the picketing. Officers were required to return to work by Saturday to avoid being disciplined for striking. 'My Administration remains committed to working in good faith with Correction Officers to improve safety and working conditions within the correctional system, but we will not compromise on the need for responsible, law-abiding behavior by every single person who walks into a DOCCS facility,' the governor said in a statement.
The Independent
04-03-2025
- The Independent
15 prison staffers placed on leave following inmate death in New York
Fifteen prison staffers have been placed on leave following the death of an inmate in New York state, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Tuesday The Democrat said the state department of corrections staffers were taken off the job at her direction as state police have launched a probe into the death of Messiah Nantwi at the Mid-State Correctional Facility on Saturday. 'While the investigation into this incident is ongoing, early reports point to extremely disturbing conduct leading to Mr. Nantwi's death and I am committed to accountability for all involved," she said in a statement. 'The people of New York extend our deepest condolences to Mr. Nantwi's family and loved ones.' State police and corrections officials have declined to provide details of the incident other than to say the 22-year-old died at a hospital in Utica. But the New York County Defender Services, which had been representing Nantwi as he awaited trial in the killing of two men, said Monday that he suffered a 'violent senseless death at the hands of state corrections officers.' The office also described Nantwi as a 'bright' young man dealing with 'significant mental health challenges' following a 'dysfunctional violent upbringing.' Manhattan prosecutors say Nantwi shot and killed Jaylen Duncan, 19, on a Harlem street in April 2023. The following evening, they say, he shot and killed Brandon Brunson, 36, at a Harlem smoke shop after an argument. Nantwi had entered the state prison system last May and had been serving a five-year sentence for second-degree criminal possession of a weapon related to an exchange of gunfire with police officers in 2021. At the time he was shot multiple times, while the officers were uninjured. Hochul said Nantwi's death is a 'reminder of the need for real systemic change" within the state prison system. She noted she mandated the use of body-worn cameras, expanded whistleblower hotlines and brought in outside experts to conduct a review of the prison system in response to the December death of Robert Brooks, an inmate at the Marcy Correctional Facility. Six guards have been charged with murder in Brooks' death. The Mid-State prison is located across the street from the Marcy prison. Meanwhile, former inmates and their families and supporters rallied earlier Tuesday at the State Capitol in Albany in response to the latest prison death. 'This is not just about any one isolated tragedy. It is about generations of unchecked violence, racism, and impunity,' Thomas Gant, a community organizer with Center for Community Alternatives, said in a statement from the organizers after the event. 'It is about a prison system that operates as a death sentence for far too many. And it is about the urgent demand for accountability, justice, and freedom.' Hochul also implored corrections staff participating in a weekslong wildcat strike to return to work, calling the illegal work stoppage a 'significant safety risk.' Corrections officers began the walkout on Feb. 17 to protest working conditions. Last Thursday, Hochul announced a binding agreement between the state and officers' union to end the picketing. Officers were required to return to work by Saturday to avoid being disciplined for striking. 'My Administration remains committed to working in good faith with Correction Officers to improve safety and working conditions within the correctional system, but we will not compromise on the need for responsible, law-abiding behavior by every single person who walks into a DOCCS facility,' the governor said in a statement.
Associated Press
04-03-2025
- Associated Press
15 prison staffers placed on leave following inmate death in New York
NEW YORK (AP) — Fifteen prison staffers have been placed on leave following the death of an inmate in New York state, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Tuesday The Democrat said the state department of corrections staffers were taken off the job at her direction as state police have launched a probe into the death of Messiah Nantwi at the Mid-State Correctional Facility on Saturday. 'While the investigation into this incident is ongoing, early reports point to extremely disturbing conduct leading to Mr. Nantwi's death and I am committed to accountability for all involved,' she said in a statement. 'The people of New York extend our deepest condolences to Mr. Nantwi's family and loved ones.' State police and corrections officials have declined to provide details of the incident other than to say the 22-year-old died at a hospital in Utica. But the New York County Defender Services, which had been representing Nantwi as he awaited trial in the killing of two men, said Monday that he suffered a 'violent senseless death at the hands of state corrections officers.' The office also described Nantwi as a 'bright' young man dealing with 'significant mental health challenges' following a 'dysfunctional violent upbringing.' Manhattan prosecutors say Nantwi shot and killed Jaylen Duncan, 19, on a Harlem street in April 2023. The following evening, they say, he shot and killed Brandon Brunson, 36, at a Harlem smoke shop after an argument. Nantwi had entered the state prison system last May and had been serving a five-year sentence for second-degree criminal possession of a weapon related to an exchange of gunfire with police officers in 2021. At the time he was shot multiple times, while the officers were uninjured. Hochul said Nantwi's death is a 'reminder of the need for real systemic change' within the state prison system. She noted she mandated the use of body-worn cameras, expanded whistleblower hotlines and brought in outside experts to conduct a review of the prison system in response to the December death of Robert Brooks, an inmate at the Marcy Correctional Facility. Six guards have been charged with murder in Brooks' death. The Mid-State prison is located across the street from the Marcy prison. Meanwhile, former inmates and their families and supporters rallied earlier Tuesday at the State Capitol in Albany in response to the latest prison death. 'This is not just about any one isolated tragedy. It is about generations of unchecked violence, racism, and impunity,' Thomas Gant, a community organizer with Center for Community Alternatives, said in a statement from the organizers after the event. 'It is about a prison system that operates as a death sentence for far too many. And it is about the urgent demand for accountability, justice, and freedom.' Hochul also implored corrections staff participating in a weekslong wildcat strike to return to work, calling the illegal work stoppage a 'significant safety risk.' Corrections officers began the walkout on Feb. 17 to protest working conditions. Last Thursday, Hochul announced a binding agreement between the state and officers' union to end the picketing. Officers were required to return to work by Saturday to avoid being disciplined for striking. 'My Administration remains committed to working in good faith with Correction Officers to improve safety and working conditions within the correctional system, but we will not compromise on the need for responsible, law-abiding behavior by every single person who walks into a DOCCS facility,' the governor said in a statement.
