Union, lawmakers criticize plan to close more prisons

ALBANY | The New York State Correctional Officers & Police Benevolent Association (NYSCOPBA) quickly objected to the announcement that additional correctional facilities could be closed in the upcoming budget cycle. The possibility of closing up to five correctional facilities was included as part of Gov. Kathy Hochul's Jan. 16 Executive Budget unveiling. No specific facilities were named. NYSCOPBA officials quickly expressed concern that closures will exacerbate prison violence, cause relocated staff to leave service through resignation and retirement, and further the cycle of unsustainable staff attrition and prison violence. The proposed closure of up to five correctional facilities comes at a time of increased violence that requires higher staffing ratios and lower inmate density, NYSCOPBA said, after previously warning, the implementation of the unrestricted congregate settings and reduced penalties for rules violations via the Humane Alternatives to Long-Term Solitary Confinement Act (HALT) would result in increased violence against incarcerated individuals and staff. Latest data provided by DOCCS supports the argument that prisons are more dangerous than ever. Assaults on staff increased 13.4 percent in 2023, following a 25 percent increase the previous year when the HALT Act went into effect. Incarcerated individual assaults increased a staggering 41.5 percent in 2023, followed by a 34 percent increase in 2022. "As the violence increases and staffing levels plummet, mandatory overtime for correction officers and sergeants has spiked to record highs. This overtime is well documented and it is unsustainable. Continuous mandates are straining members' physical and mental health, their families, and their quality of life. Members are burning out at alarming rates. How can the State of New York demand that our members continue working in these conditions and have the mental and physical ability to keep incarcerated individuals and staff safe? Members need relief," said Chris Summers, NYSCOPBA President. NYSCOPBA is calling upon the policymakers to see the reality, saying prisons are safest for everyone when they are properly staffed and when incarcerated individuals are not forced to live on top of one another, adding that closing facilities fails to provide a long-term solution to staffing because staff do not want to uproot their families to move hours away. Closing facilities fails to provide a long-term solution to violence because more densely populated prisons make it increasingly difficult to separate the bad actors from preying upon those who are quietly serving their sentences, they said. The solution, NYSCOPBA said, is to keep prisons open, spread out the incarcerated individual population, and to add more staff as quickly as possible. To that end, NYSCOPBA is calling for support in its efforts for a salary upgrade and additional financial incentives in its collective bargaining agreement. "Whether people want to admit it or not, there will always be people who commit heinous crimes in New York State. Correctional facilities will always be needed to separate them from the public. We cannot staff those facilities with our depleted membership. Nobody wants to take this job for the pay, the low quality of life, and the personal risks. Closures won't fix staffing. Violence won't get better unless we do something different," NYSCOPBA said in Jan. 16 press release. NYSCOPBA said the solution is simple. "Incentivize new and existing staff. Keep prisons open. Reduce the density of the incarcerated population to make it easier to separate bad actors." North Country Assemblyman Billy Jones (D-Chateaugay Lake) said "All conversations about public safety need to include our correctional facilities. I am highly disappointed by the Governor's decision to close more correctional facilities across the state because it will do nothing to mitigate the rise in crime or increase safety in prisons. "I also am concerned about how these closures will impact communities like the North Country who support these correctional facilities and depend on them. Instead of 'right-sizing,' the state should be discussing how we keep the system safe for the hardworking men and women inside those prison walls. The state needs to do more to support the correctional officers and civilians that walk into these facilities every day to help keep us all safe, not overcrowd them or shut them down. We owe this to their friends and loved ones who worry about their safety every day." Sen. Jim Tedisco (R,C-Saratoga Springs) said "The foundation of any state budget must begin with protecting our most vulnerable citizens and ensuring public safety. New York continues to be in a public safety crisis and the last thing the state should be doing is balancing a budget on the backs of the safety of the people of our state and jeopardizing public safety by the willy-nilly closing of correctional facilities. This will lead to overcrowding in remaining facilities and place our dedicated corrections officers in even greater harm's way." Sen. Dan Stec said potential closures are "absolutely unacceptable and further proof of how reckless Democrat leaders continue to be with public safety. "Because of their so-called criminal justice reforms, dangerous criminals are allowed to roam in their communities and felons inside correctional facilities have free rein to assault officers, staff and other inmates. Our police and corrections officers lack the support and resources they need to protect themselves and others. "I represent several correctional facilities and the men and women that work there. I'm proud to stand with our officers and civilian staff, whether that means sponsoring legislation to repeal HALT or opposing Governor Hochul's plan to close more correctional facilities. Closing them would mean a loss of good-paying jobs and have a devastating effect on our community. 'We cannot allow that to happen. I will not support any budget that closes correctional facilities, In the days ahead, I will fight on behalf of all the men and women who work in these sites and work to ensure these jobs remain right here in our community and that these facilities remain open."

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Union, lawmakers criticize plan to close more prisons

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