Testimony by live phone-in of Joshua Vaughn
JUST rally March 3, 2025, Broome County Building, 60 Hawley Binghamton New York.
Assalamu Alaykum…
Ramadan Mubarak!
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to make this statement. And know that I do so on behalf of all incarcerated individuals, on the local, state, and federal levels. As well as on behalf of all oppressed peoples.
As I speak these words, a number of narratives have and are emerging that revolve around organizing efforts relating to the murders of Robert Brooks at Marcy correctional facility, and Messiah Nantwi at Mid-State correctional facility, as well as the temporary suspension of the Halt Solitary Confinement Law, and the illegal wildcat strike of so-called correctional officers throughout across New York State prisons.
Utilizing Angela Davis’s concept of intersectionality, we can clearly situate our current anti-racist, anti-imperialist, abolitionists struggle within a long line of passionate struggles against the institutional racism of the penal system, against overarching racialized capitalism, and against racialized police violence; and we can identify the invaluable result of these intergenerational struggles. And while the structural changes we demand within the prison industrial complex and society at large will not happen overnight or all at once, I find solace in the fact that the progress we make on a daily basis results in small but meaningful moral and material benefits for the masses of people in America- regardless of ethnicity, religion or nationality.
Like many others tragically killed by correction officers within New York State Prisons, Robert Brooks and Messiah Nantwi would still be with us today if not for the gang-like culture among COs that has been allowed to fester ad spread throughout New York State’s Prison system.
As an individual who has been previously imprisoned at both Marcy and Mid-State C.F’s, I can attest to the fact that this toxic culture is well known to facility administration and overlooked and unreported by the C.O.s who don’t directly participate in violence against incarcerated individuals. My heart breaks for the families of Robert Brooks and Messiah Nantwi, as well as the countless families of brothers and sisters who have been brutality murdered by the COs tasked with their care, custody, and control within New York State Prisons.
The fact that these gruesome acts take place in New York State on a regular basis is nothing new. The fact that it was caught on camera in the case of Robert Brooks is a novelty. Sadly, the vast majority of incarcerated individuals in New York State acknowledge the fact that the six former prison officers charged with lynching Mr. Brooks will end up getting minimal prison time, if any, for their crimes compared to the very people that they policed, harassed, and abused within New York State Prisons.
This type of toxicity and injustice cannot continue to take place without being addressed on a structural level; starting with ending qualified immunity for COs who abuse their authority, and meaningful oversight in the form of mandatory universal body cameras at New York State prisons and county jails.
As for the current temporary suspension of the Halt Act Law, this has undoubtedly resulted in the mental and emotional turmoil of countless individuals within the Residential Rehabilitation Units throughout the State of New York. These individuals are currently languishing in prison cells with cages attached to them for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week…
As someone who has spent years in solitary confinement, I can attest to the fact that even a day of this type of confinement results in prolonged psychological and emotional trauma. And even though things in solitary confinement have been much better after the passage of HALT, it is worth noting that this law has never been fully implemented within county jails or prisons throughout New York State because prison and jail administrations have found a multitude of ways to circumvent the law.
Therefore, HALT needs to be reinstated as soon as possible, and prison and jail administrations need to be forced to fully implement the HALT law. We all know that punitive punishment over therapeutic programming doesn’t bet positive results in our jails and prisons. The same way that harsh and mandatory sentences have never deterred crime in our state.
As for the current illegal wildcat strike by officers taking place across New York State, this is clearly an act of desperation as they perceive a shift in the oversight and accountability measures of New York State prisons. And as they perceive the societal shift away from punitive punishment and harsh sentences, towards therapeutic programs and community investments. Therefore I call on Governor Hochul to cease negotiations with these people who have wreaked havoc on the prison system in New York State, and to terminate those who dare to defy court orders to return to their work posts.
I’d like to thank the criminal justice programs and prisoner rights programs that have been tirelessly advocating for the rights of incarcerated individuals across New York State. I’d also like to specifically thank the J.U.S.T. program for their invaluable contributions and unflinching advocacy for incarcerated individuals in Broome County, New York. Lastly, I would like to thank my legal mentor for allowing me the opportunity to speak on behalf of individuals directly impacted by these issues. Until next time, the struggle continues. Assalamu Alaykum…
Joshua Vaughn
from Broome County Jail
March 4, 2025