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Alliance Alert: The Alliance for Rights and Recovery strongly supports the package of reforms advanced through the Robert Brooks Bill and commends Governor Hochul’s commitment to reviewing and advancing meaningful changes to ensure safety, accountability, and recovery within ����������’s prisons and jails.
The tragic death of Robert Brooks underscores the urgent need for systemic reform to protect the health, safety, and dignity of all people in custody. The proposed legislation—which includes expanded use of body-worn and fixed cameras, installation of body scanners for visitors, staff, and incarcerated individuals, and an independent review of facility practices—represents an important step toward greater transparency and justice.
The Alliance has long called for policies that make correctional settings safer and more conducive to recovery, ensuring individuals with mental health, substance use, and trauma-related challenges receive support, not punishment. True reform requires both safety measures and a commitment to expanding rehabilitative, peer-led, and treatment-focused services behind and beyond the walls.
We urge state leaders to pass this important legislation and continue to build a system rooted in accountability, compassion, and recovery, where every ����������er—regardless of circumstance—is treated with dignity and respect.

Gov. Hochul Reviewing ‘Robert Brooks Bill’ Aimed at Improving Prison Safety, Commits to Significant Reforms
By Tom Kowalski | News 10 ABC | October 21, 2025

ONEIDA COUNTY, N.Y. — A former corrections officer was sentenced to prison for the murder of Robert Brooks, an inmate from Greece. News10NBC was in court all day covering the verdict.

“In the matter of the people vs. David Kingsley, the jury have returned verdicts of guilty,” the judge said.

Two other officers were acquitted of all charges.

“A person can only be placed in jeopardy for the charges one time. If the jury comes back with an acquittal, the verdict against the prosecutors, the weight of the prosecution’s evidence and the finding of not guilty, is permanent and final and can never be recharged,” said Aaron Pam, a Senior Associate with the Tully Rinckey Law Firm.

“Obviously, the two gentlemen were acquitted. I felt different, but I respect the jury’s verdict. And now we’ll see what the United States Attorney does with them,” said William J. Fitzpatrick, Onondaga County DA, who served as prosecutor for the case.

State Sen. Jeremy Cooney and the healthcare union 1199 SEIU, of which Robert Brooks Jr. is a member, called for Gov. Kathy Hochul to pass a bill aimed at improving prison safety. Cooney said, “This is an important reminder that we have more work ahead to achieve true justice and ensure these types of tragedies never occur in ���������� again.”

“We all witnessed Robert’s brutal murder on video for the world to see, yet the decision made by the jury today is painful and difficult to understand,” the union said.

The Brooks family released a statement expressing satisfaction with the guilty verdict but disappointment over the acquittals. They plan to pursue a federal civil rights lawsuit and urged Gov. Hochul to pass the Robert Brooks Bill.

Gov. Hochul’s office stated she is reviewing the bill and is committed to significant prison reforms but did not provide specifics.

That bill aims to improve prison safety include an $818 million investment in fixed and body-worn cameras in state prisons, deployment of 88 body scanners for visitors, inmates, and staff, and a law firm review of practices at Marcy, Mid-State, and other state prisons following the deaths of Robert Brooks and Messiah Nantwi.