'Deeply Troubling,' Inmate Beat To Death In New York Prison

An inmate was killed after allegedly being beaten by guards at a New York State prison. New details have emerged in the 'deeply troubling' incident. This is the second fatal beating by corrections officers in less than six months.

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Messiah Nantwi was beaten to death by corrections officers according to multiple witness accounts, the same day striking guards were to return to work. There seems to be a culture of violence within the staff and leadership within New York State prisons. Nantwi's death comes just months after Robert Brooks was beaten to death while in handcuffs by prison guards. Ten guards have been indicted in Brooks' brutal death. Many believe that the illegal strike by corrections officers in New York was designed to distract from the horrific death that Brooks suffered.

Now, just a few months later, 15 prison workers have been placed on leave in connection with the death of Messiah, who was killed in custody at Mid-State Correctional Facility. The incident happened on Saturday, March 1, 2025. The New York first broke the news and says there are at least nine witness accounts of the alleged beating. CBS 6 Albany received a witness account,

"Messiah was beaten by CERT (Correctional Emergency Response Team). There was a sergeant there who turned his back so the body camera would not catch it, and there was six, roughly six, National Guards, like keeping watch, being the stakeout outside of the room. The roommate, Messiah's bunkee, was forced to sit in the room, was told several times to turn his head while they mashed his face...when they got done beating him, they made the roommate clean up the blood with a mop, and that roommate has since been moved. No one knows where he is."

The beating incident took between four to five minutes, according to a witness. It took an hour for an ambulance to come, and Messiah was pronounced dead at the hospital.

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The prison guards participating in the illegal strike want the HALT Act repealed. The act limits the use of solitary confinement, which community activists and prisoner advocates say helps protect incarcerated individuals from being abused. In 2023, which is the most recent data, there were 1,671 assaults on staff in prisons around New York State. There was a 13 percent increase in violence against staff members from 2022 to 2023. As far as assaults on incarcerated individuals, there were 2,112 in 2023, an increase of 42 percent from 2022, when there were 1,488 incarcerated individuals assaulted. Staff used 2,908 weapons in 2023, up 16 percent from 2022, when staff used 2,511 weapons. In 2024, prisoners filed 1,443 grievances against prison staff.

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New York State must act now to stop the culture of violence and abuse within the ranks of corrections officers. Yes, prisoners deserve to serve the time they were sentenced to, but prison should not mean a death sentence at the hands of those given the power over inmates and the duty to protect them. It is disturbing that the people in charge are allegedly inflicting violence and death on inmates. Governor Kathy Hochul said,

"My Administration remains committed to working in good faith with Correction Officers to improve safety and working conditions within the correctional system, but we will not compromise on the need for responsible, law-abiding behavior by every single person who walks into a DOCCS facility.”