Inmate deaths raise questions about millions of dollars in NY state spending on body

After New York State agreed in February 2020 to pay $5 million to the family of an inmate who died in an upstate prison, state officials made a separate $5 million pledge: 1,000 body-worn cameras for correction officers.

They said the goal was to ensure transparency, compliance and to "save the department in lawsuits," according to records obtained by Newsday through a Freedom of Information Law request.

Five years and $39 million later, New York has agreed to purchase enough body cameras for all correction officers, regardless of rank, according to the obtained documents.

But the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision is facing questions after two high-profile deaths of inmates over the last year — both of which occurred with correctional officers who either allegedl