Correction officers union requests emergency meeting with DOCCS
Correctional officers and their supporters demonstrate in sight of Coxsackie Correctional Facility in the Hudson Valley., Monday, Feb. 24, 2025, in Coxsackie, N.Y. (AP Photo / Michael Hill)
The union representing New York state correction officers, still dealing with the effects of the unsanctioned strikes, want an emergency meeting with the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision.
For starters, working conditions remain unsafe, the New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association said.
They’re upset about long shifts, workplace conditions, and not enough staff.
“Our member’s safety and the safety of the communities they serve should be a priority. The ongoing refusal to address these concerns only exacerbates the already dangerous conditions that exist in many of our facilities,” NYSCOPBA President Chris Summers said in a statement.
More than 2,000 correction officers were fired in the wake of last week’s strike.
With the worker shortage, Corrections Commissioner Daniel Martuscello is thinking about releasing some inmates 110 days earlier than planned, if their crime was considered minor.
“The early release of inmates undermines public safety and sends a troubling message to crime victims who continue to live with the trauma caused by those incarcerated and only highlights DOCCS failure to face the ongoing consequences of staffing shortages in our prisons,” Summers said.
DOCCS also said staffing levels have declined for several years, through attrition and not enough recruitment.
As NewsChannel 13 has reported, Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a state order preventing state agencies from hiring guards who went on strike.
“I’d be very cautious because these individuals had a responsibility to protect the public and the incarcerated population and they walked off the job,” Hochul said at the time. “That’s what we had to deal with for 22 days, and to say that we’re going to oh – forget? I will never forget that. They’re not ever working for the state of New York.”
NYSCOPBA said they would like a “seat at the table,” to make sure their voices are heard.
“We will not back down until real changes are made for the men and women who serve this state with unwavering dedication,” Summers said.