ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Robert Ricks, the father of Robert Brooks who died after corrections officers beat him at Marcy Correctional Facility, spoke at a joint hearing of the State Assembly and Senate.

The hearing on Thursday was to discuss public protection. Ricks, who runs a youth reform program, called for justice for people who experience brutality in prisons. He supports passing a prison reform bill that would allow the corrections commissioner to fire officers after grievous offenses and to create a new watchdog body to oversee state prisons.

“Y’all know it’s broke. Y’all know that people are being beat to death in jail. Y’all know that. So it’s like, what are you going to do. I do my job. My expectation is that you all do your job,” he said.

Body-worn camera video shows corrections officers beating Brooks, a Greece man, in a medical exam room on Dec. 9. He died in the hospital the next day. The medical examiner determined that Brooks died from compression of the neck and multiple blunt impact injuries.

So far, there have been no criminal charges in Brooks’ death. Seventeen employees at Marcy Correctional Facility have been suspended without pay or have resigned since Brooks’ death. We’re still waiting to hear the results of a grand jury, which was expected to hear evidence this week on whether to bring charges against the corrections officers and nurses seen in the video.

A.I. assisted with the formatting of this story. Click here to see how WHEC News 10 uses A.I.

RELATED:

• Medical Examiner rules death of Robert Brooks a homicide (Feb. 5)
• Ben Crump speaks about education, Robert Brooks’ death, and other topics during visit to Rochester (Jan. 18)
• ‘He deserved to live’; Family files lawsuit in death of Robert Brooks and shares memories (Jan. 15)
• AG’s Office aims to withdraw from defending corrections officers in four lawsuits (Jan. 27)
• Former inmate speaks out about prison violence after video of Robert Brooks’ beating released (Jan. 8)
• ‘This killing must be a catalyst for change’: Robert Brooks’ son speaks out at rally (Dec. 31)
• Local faith leaders demand accountability, systemic changes after inmate dies after beating (Dec. 30)
• ‘Heartbroken’: Prison reform advocate calls Marcy Correctional Facility video ‘dehumanizing’ (Dec. 30)
• ‘Completely inexplicable’: Family attorney reacts to body cam video of Robert Brooks’ beating in prison (Dec.