Gov. Kathy Hochul’s administration appears to be walking back her ban on state correction officers returning to that job following the illegal weeks-long strike.

This means prison guards who were fired after the strike could be able to get recertified as peace officers and work in county jails.

This comes after two counties sued to challenge the governor’s ban on former guards from working for counties where many jails are understaffed. Hochul had said that the counties could not hire these officers until the public emergency order is lifted on April 9.

The governor, though, is urging anyone considering hiring these workers to be very cautious. She says they had a responsibility to protect the public and the incarcerated population, and they walked off the job.