Key NY legislative caucus endorses criminal justice bills in light of prison deaths

Members of the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Legislative Caucus are calling on state lawmakers to pass a slate of prison reform bills before the end of the legislative session.

The caucus members are seeking the changes in response to the beating deaths of two incarcerated men by corrections officers in separate New York state correctional facilities in Oneida County. In throwing their weight behind the distilled set of bills, they hope to focus debate and ensure action in the final two weeks of a legislative session that has been slow to respond to calls for greater accountability.

In total, the caucus is backing more than 20 previously introduced bills under the umbrella of the “Robert Brooks Blueprint for Justice and Reform.” Proposed changes range from expanding diversion p