It was an emotional afternoon in Syracuse on Saturday as loved ones of individuals who died while incarcerated joined to rally. Family members said systemic change in prisons is needed.

Eileen Graham is the cousin of Robert Brooks, who died in December after correction officers at Marcy Correctional Facility beat him while he was restrained.

She said they stayed in touch while he was incarcerated, and he was looking forward to the day he would get out.

“I helped him learn sign language. He got his GED. He was really trying to just, he didn't have jail practice. So he went in and never came out," said Graham.

Graham wants to see arrests made in connection to her cousin’s death.

“We are all in crisis right now," Graham said. "We saw something that was extremely devastating on camera. So I don't know what else we need to do, but someone needs to make sure these people are arrested.”

Graham, along with others who have lost loved ones during their incarcerations, also wants to see systemic change within the prison system.

Many people at the rally said they do not trust what they’re being told about the deaths of their family members. 

“I don't know what happened, but I do know he had pain in his eye. He had an incident before he went into the prison and that incident needed to be addressed not by a facility doctor, but a doctor. He put in several requests to go to the hospital. Nobody ever took him. And this was two and a half years. They never took him to that facility," said Nadine Brown, whose son, Chudney Carter, died while incarcerated.

Speakers at the rally want to make it easier to fire correctional officers who take part in abusive behavior as well as voice support for a bill known as the Marvin Mayfield Act, which seeks to eliminate mandatory minimum sentencing in the state.

“Definitely hoping that this law is passed because that is the way that they convicted my son. And like I said, Aaron was 19. He never had a record as a juvenile or an adult," Alisa Jackson said.

She is the mother of Aaron Jackson, who also died while incarcerated.

Nearly 20 Marcy Correctional Facility workers are currently suspended without pay as the investigation into Brooks' death continues.

Following Brooks’ death, the state’s Department of Corrections and Community Supervision said they’re already implementing changes, including increasing the supervision of officers.

Leaders in the department also said they’re committed to preventing an incident like this from happening again.