Fifteen employees from a New York prison have been suspended following the death of an inmate, as announced by Governor Kathy Hochul on Tuesday.
The Democratic governor explained that these staff members from the state department of corrections were relieved of their duties at her directive, in alignment with a state police investigation into the death of Messiah Nantwi, which occurred on Saturday at the Mid-State Correctional Facility.
In a statement, Hochul expressed her concern, stating, “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 also extended condolences to Nantwi’s family on behalf of the people of New York.
The state authorities have not given out comprehensive details concerning the incident, apart from stating that the 22-year-old Nantwi passed away in a Utica hospital.
On the other hand, the New York County Defender Services, representing Nantwi as he awaited trial for allegedly killing two men, claimed on Monday that his death was “violent and senseless,” reportedly caused by state corrections officers.
The organization also described Nantwi as a “bright” individual grappling with significant mental health issues due to a challenging and violent upbringing.
Prosecutors in Manhattan claim Nantwi was responsible for fatally shooting Jaylen Duncan, 19, on a street in Harlem in April 2023, followed by another murder of Brandon Brunson, 36, at a Harlem smoke shop the next day after an argument.
Nantwi was introduced into the state prison system in May, serving a five-year term for second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, relating to a gunfire exchange in 2021 with the police where he sustained multiple gunshot wounds, though the officers were unharmed.
Hochul stressed that Nantwi’s death highlights the urgent need for systemic reform in the state prison system.
She mentioned implementing body-worn cameras, expanding whistleblower hotlines, and commissioning external experts to review the prison system as measures in light of Robert Brooks’ death at the Marcy Correctional Facility in December, for which six guards have been charged with murder.
The Mid-State Correctional Facility is located near Marcy prison.
In reaction to these events, a group of former inmates, their families, and supporters gathered at the State Capitol in Albany on Tuesday to protest the recurring prison deaths.
Community organizer Thomas Gant articulated, “This is not just about any one isolated tragedy. It is about generations of unchecked violence, racism, and impunity. 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.”
Meanwhile, protests by hundreds of corrections staffers and their supporters have been ongoing at the Capitol, following a wildcat strike that began on February 17, in objection to their working conditions.
Governor Hochul addressed the strikes, denouncing them as an “illegal work stoppage” that poses a “significant safety risk,” urging prison workers to return to their jobs.
Last Thursday, she declared having secured an agreement with the officers’ union mandating officers to resume work by Saturday to avoid facing disciplinary actions.
Simultaneously, the New York Civil Liberties Union filed a legal challenge against the corrections department on Tuesday.
The lawsuit, filed alongside Prisoners’ Legal Services of New York, argues that suspension of in-person visits and attorney calls at several state prisons infringes on the First Amendment rights of inmates.
The department opted not to comment on the ongoing litigation.
Karen Murtagh, Executive Director of Prisoners’ Legal Services of New York, stated, “By restricting incarcerated people’s ability to communicate with their attorneys, DOCCS is undermining the essential right to access justice and due process.”
Murtagh emphasized that information obtained from inmates and their families disclosed troubling prison conditions worsened by the strikes.
