DOCCS to Release Thousands of State Prison Staff Misconduct Records  

Disclosure results from NYCLU lawsuit 

NEW YORK – Following a 2023 lawsuit from the New York Civil Liberties Union, with pro bono counsel from Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) has agreed to turn over thousands of withheld corrections staff disciplinary records authorized to be disclosed following the repeal of Civil Rights Law § 50-a. This will include a database summarizing tens of thousands of investigations with officer names unredacted.  

“For too long, DOCCS has kept New Yorkers in the dark about its investigation and discipline systems, raising concerns about the agency’s willingness to hold corrections staff accountable for misconduct. With today’s settlement, we are taking an important step to end this era of secrecy,” said Bobby Hodgson, assistant legal director at the New York Civil Liberties Union. “New Yorkers deserve to know what’s hidden behind the walls of our state prisons. We will closely analyze these records, which will help reveal what does—and does not—happen when prison staff are accused of abusing the people in their care.” 

“Transparency and accountability are essential parts of our justice system,” said Linton Mann III, partner at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP. “This settlement will ensure that DOCCS is held to those standards and will allow for the necessary investigations to take place into possible misconduct in the state prison and parole systems. We stand ready to make sure that DOCCS complies with all of its obligations under the settlement.” 

You can find the settlement here: https://www.nyclu.org/court-cases/nyclu-v-doccs-0