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Messiah Nantwi, 22, died at Mid-State Correctional Facility in Marcy on Saturday, March 1, a spokesperson for the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) told Daily Voice.
Additional details about his death were not released, but nine inmates at the facility told The New York Times that Nantwi was brutally beaten by corrections officers.
Thomas Mailey, a prisons spokesman, declined to comment on the New York Times allegations in a statement to Daily Voice, but confirmed that 11 prison employees involved in the incident were placed on administrative leave pending the results of an investigation.
“Any death that appears to be from other than natural causes or a known medical condition is thoroughly investigated by New York State Police, DOCCS' Office of Special Investigations, and notification is made to the Office of the Attorney General,” Mailey said.
Nantwi had been in custody since May 2024 and was serving a five-year sentence following a conviction for criminal possession of a weapon, according to state records.
His death came just days after several former corrections officers were charged with murder and manslaughter following the on-camera beating death of inmate Robert Brooks at Marcy Correctional Facility, located directly across the street, in December 2024.
News of another reported beating death at the hands of prison employees sparked a scathing response from the nonprofit HALT Solitary Campaign:
“How many more incarcerated people must be killed or left to die before our state’s elected leaders recognize that the real problem lies with the racist system of incarceration and the prison guards, who for generations have relied on the legacy of slavery for their livelihoods?” the organization’s co-director, Jerome Wright, said in a statement.
“Even after some important reforms, mass incarceration remains a jobs program for upstate communities at the expense of the liberty and lives of Black, brown, and poor New Yorkers. Our hearts go out to all who loved this young individual and must be devastated right now. This lynching cannot go unanswered. Incarcerated people’s lives must be protected.”
Wright called on state lawmakers to “fundamentally transform” the prison system by passing an inmate bill of rights and sentencing reform legislation, among other measures.
“If there’s a question of safety in New York’s prisons, this lynching proves it is incarcerated people who are not safe,” Wright said.
Additional details about Nantwi’s life were not immediately available. Loved ones are encouraged to share a statement, funeral details, and/or photos by emailing mmashburn@dailyvoice.com.
This is a developing story. Check back to Daily Voice for updates.
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