Father of Robert Brooks Testifies Before New York State Legislature on Prison Reform
ALBANY, N.Y. (NEXSTAR) — Robert Ricks, the father of Robert Brooks, testified on Thursday before a selection of state senators and assemblymembers at the joint legislative budget hearing on public protection. The following is a summary of his testimony, broken down into sections.
Testimony
Ricks explained that he was there supporting four different bills that overhaul New York’s correctional system. He detailed systemic abuses—citing his son’s murder at Marcy Correctional Facility—as a call for greater accountability, independent oversight, and improved conditions for incarcerated individuals. The bills he supports are:
- S1671/A5355: Creates new rules for disciplining correction officers and some state employees accused of serious misconduct, such as excessive force, false reporting, smuggling contraband, and inappropriate sexual contact with inmates.
- S651/A3781: Allows an independent monitor to inspect all state correctional facilities without advance notice or group-size limits, and mandates prompt written responses to inspection reports.
- S844/A649: Gives anyone injured while in state custody—whether in prison, in a state hospital or correctional facility, or while held by police before trial—the right to sue over their injuries within three years of release.
- S1707: Creates an independent Office of the Correctional Ombudsperson with powers to inspect, investigate, and report on state and local correctional facilities, with full access to records, the ability to order independent autopsies, and authority over criminal probes of misconduct.
Testimony Transcript
Senator Liz Krueger: "Good afternoon, everyone. And just starting from my right, just say your name first. We’ll just go down the row so that the tech people who hopefully heard me say panel E, not panel D, are the people we have in front of us. Please."
Robert Ricks: "Robert Lee Ricks, the father of Robert Lee Brooks."
Krueger: "Thank you. Why don’t we start with you, Mr. Ricks, if that’s OK? Are you ready?"
Ricks: "As ready as I’m going to be, I guess."
Krueger: "OK."
Ricks: "So, good afternoon, Senator Krueger, Assemblymember Pretlow, and all the distinguished senators and assemblymembers present. I, too, am America. I’m the darker brother. I need to say that because I think you all forget that sometimes. I think you all forget the investments that Black and brown people have made. The sacrifices, the blood, the sweat, the tears, the 400 years of free labor. The Preamble of the Constitution begins, ‘We, the people of the United States.’ We’re the people, too. Pauper, president, priest, prisoner. We’re the people, too. I am Robert Lee Ricks, and I’m the father of the late Robert Lee Brooks, and it sounds crazy to me to even say that. He was murdered in December 2025 at the Marcy Correctional Facility by the New York Department of Corrections staff. Not an inmate. Staff. I’m appalled by the lack of accountability for the corrections officers involved, and the absolute failure of our state government to address the decades-old problems of violence against prisoners in the New York correctional facilities. I’m not going to waste time providing you with data and facts and figures about the number of reported assaults and the millions paid to settle cases brought by prisoners. Former Attorney General Eric Schneiderman advised me that you all have all that information available to you. But the emotional toll that this situation has taken on me, my family, my community has been devastating. And no financial compensation can replace the loss of my son. But you have the power. You have the power to demand accountability and enact the major reform needed to end the epidemic of systemic taxpayer-funded violence. I truly believe that my son died so others may live. I truly believe that my son sacrificed his life so other sons and daughters and mothers and uncles and aunts may live."
Additional Testimony
Ricks: "It’s a lot that needs to change. For the last couple of months, I have received a lot of phone calls, a lot of text messages, a lot of Facebook messages just saying the amount of things that—there are a lot of atrocities that take place in the prisons. Mothers who can’t see their sons because their son’s been beat up so bad that they don’t want to let them see him. Broken bones. Prisoners just disappearing, not able to even contact—the parents can’t even contact them. So, I think that just there’s just so much. And prior to my son being murdered, and me seeing it on TV, nobody could have told me that these things were transpiring in our jails and in our prisons. So, I think that a lot of things need to change. I support [Sen. Julia Salazar’s] bill, "Prison Safety is Public Safety" Package. I support the Senate bill 844, which would toll the statute of limitations for prisoners, giving them three years after release to file lawsuits against abusive prison staff. I support the creation of an independent special prosecutor to prosecute crimes committed by correctional officers, correctional staff against prisoners. It is crystal clear that the current system of accountability is broken. The Attorney General defends DOCCS and DOCCS employees, so she has a conflict of interest. And I do not trust the district attorneys who represent the counties where prisoners are located and corrections staff are their constituents. I don’t trust them to do justice in these challenging cases. I believe that there is a lot that needs to be done as far as the prison system is concerned. Prior to now, prior to seeing my son in a body bag, I wouldn’t have believed it. I wouldn’t have believed it."
Conclusion
Ricks’ testimony highlighted the need for significant reform in New York’s correctional system, including greater accountability, independent oversight, and improved conditions for incarcerated individuals. He emphasized the importance of addressing the systemic abuse and violence that has led to the deaths of countless individuals, including his own son. Ricks called for the creation of an independent Office of the Correctional Ombudsperson, as well as the passage of bills that would provide greater protections for prisoners, including the right to sue for injuries and the creation of an independent special prosecutor to investigate and prosecute crimes committed by correctional officers and staff.
FAQs
Q: What are the four bills that Robert Ricks supports to reform New York’s correctional system?
A: S1671/A5355, S651/A3781, S844/A649, and S1707.
Q: What is the purpose of the independent Office of the Correctional Ombudsperson?
A: The Office would have powers to inspect, investigate, and report on state and local correctional facilities, with full access to records, the ability to order independent autopsies, and authority over criminal probes of misconduct.
Q: What is the purpose of the toll on the statute of limitations for prisoners?
A: The toll would give prisoners three years after release to file lawsuits against abusive prison staff for injuries sustained while in custody.
