NY passes prison reform after inmate deaths, mandating surveillance, data sharing, and oversight improvements.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed a prison reform law following high-profile inmate deaths, mandating 24-hour surveillance in most prison areas and vehicles, expanding data collection on deaths and complaints, and suspending the statute of limitations for injury claims for three years after release. The law enhances oversight by granting the Correctional Association greater access to facilities, requiring detailed autopsy reports, and diversifying the State Commission of Correction. While the 72-hour deadline for releasing death footage was adjusted, footage must now be shared in good faith, with additional release within 24 hours. The reforms follow the killings of Robert Brooks and Messiah Nantwi and aim to improve accountability, though advocates say more work is needed on sentencing and parole. Hochul also signed bills ending the "100-foot rule" for gas line costs and phasing out commercial horseshoe crab harvesting by 2029.