Advocates Celebrate Signing of Landmark Prison Reform Bill, Opening Path to Justice for Incarcerated Survivors

ALBANY, NY (12/19/2025) (readMedia)-- Today, Governor Hochul announced she will sign into law a transformative prison reform omnibus bill (A8871 Dilan/S8415 Salazar), which incorporates elements of the Fair Access to Justice Act, originally sponsored by Senator Julia Salazar and Assembly Member Catalina Cruz. The bill revives the civil statute of limitations for individuals who were assaulted while incarcerated for a two year period post release. The legislation also helps survivors by removing unnecessary burdens to filing a claim. This legislation recognizes how trauma and fear of retaliation impacts survivors of abuse in carceral settings. With the signing of this bill, survivors abused in state custody will feel safer about coming forward and seeking justice. The bill will also act as a deterrent for new cases of abuse.

Statement from Emily Miles, Executive Director of the NYC Alliance Against Sexual Assault and member of the Survivor Justice Coalition:

"For too long, New York's laws have forced survivors abused in state custody - disproportionately Black and trans incarcerated women - to jump through impossible legal hoops that left them vulnerable to further retaliation and abuse for seeking justice. These legal barriers have proved to be insurmountable for too many incarcerated survivors and barred too many from accessing the justice they deserve. Now, New York has moved closer to a system where every survivor has a path toward justice. Thank you to Governor Hochul for signing the bill into law, Senator Salazar and Assemblymember Dilan for championing the omnibus bill, Assemblymember Cruz for sponsoring the Fair Access to Justice Act, and the survivor-advocates who fought relentlessly for this moment."

The Fair Access to Justice Act was included as a standalone bill in the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic, & Asian Caucus' Robert Brooks Blueprint for Justice & Reform. Fair Access to Justice was also a priority bill in the Survivor Justice Coalition's legislative package.