DOCCS rescinds 70/30 plan in effort to restore workforce

DANNEMORA | The New York Department of Corrections and Community Supervision has announced its plans for a 'Path to Restoring Workforce' amid ongoing correction officer strikes across the state. On Wednesday, Gov. Kathy Hochul signed an Executive Order that authorized the National Guard to be deployed to help ensure the safety and security of New York State's correctional facilities. The order also provides authority for additional overtime compensation for correction officers and other staff reporting for duty and actively working to secure facilities. In addition to the Executive Order, DOCCS announced Thursday that: -The provisions of the HALT legislation permit temporary suspension of specific elements of HALT under "exceptional circumstances" where these circumstances "create a significant and unreasonable risk to the safety and security of other incarcerated persons, staff or the facility." "Accordingly, we are suspending the elements of HALT that cannot safely be operationalized under a prison-wide state of emergency until we can safely operate the prisons," DOCCS wrote in a 1:30 p.m. memo to superintendents across the state. Additionally, according to the memo, DOCCS will also: -Immediately rescind the "70/30" memorandum dated Feb. 10, concerning Security Staffing Reviews -Provide an overtime rate of 2.5 times the regular rate for employees who continue to work at correctional facilities across the state for the duration of the emergency as was authorized in the Executive Order and negotiated between NYSCOPBA and the state to be implemented by the Comptroller's Office -Not pursue discipline against any employees who immediately report to work Thursday, before 11:59 p.m., regardless of the employee's schedule or shift, who were participating in the job action -The National Guard will remain in place until operations are stabilized at all facilities and ensure the safety of officers returning to work, the incarcerated population and the surrounding communities "We will continue to work with NYSCOPBA President Summers and his Executive Board through the agreed-upon mediation process to address our ongoing recruitment, retention and overall safety issues, as well as the legislature and other stakeholders," said Commissioner Daniel F. Martuscello III. "The safety and security of the staff and incarcerated population is paramount to me. I value the hard work and commitment of the men and women at DOCCS who have had to sacrifice time with their families due to the current staffing shortage. At this time, I am urging all those on strike to return to the facilities today in order to restore the safety and security to our facilities." Negotiations between state executives, DOCCS and NYSCOPBA were continuing Thursday afternoon. Officers involved have voiced firm opposition to reinstatement without a full and permanent repeal of the HALT Act. Other priority demands included Martuscello stepping down, increased sign-on bonuses to further current stagnant recruitment efforts and improved retirement benefits to better retain current officers and staffing levels, as well as a rescinding of the 70/30 staffing plan. Thursday afternoon, Assemblyman Billy Jones said the Governor and DOCCS need to act now. "When I returned to the North Country after a business trip, I visited the officers and staff from Clinton, Malone, and Altona Correctional facilities to hear their legitimate fears regarding safety at correctional facilities. What is clear is that they want to get rid of the HALT Act to restore disciplinary measures to the facilities and want safer staffing. "Working double or triple shifts and mandated overtime is causing correctional officers and staff at correctional facilities to experience burnout and that is no way to run these facilities. The state also needs to do more to keep contraband out of correctional facilities by mandating full body scans of both visitors and inmates and to update the legal mail policy. Safety at correctional facilities is paramount and that is why I have been advocating for these changes to protect correctional officers and staff. Enough is enough- the Governor and NYSDOCCS must act now to resolve this increasingly dangerous situation." Shortly after the DOCCS announcement, U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik released the following statement, saying she has "been directly in touch with many correctional officers and their families in our district who are facing unprecedented, dangerous, and life-threatening circumstances due to the failed and dangerous policies of New York State. "New York Governor Kathy Hochul and Far Left Albany Democrats passed the devastating HALT Act which resulted in assaults on officers skyrocketing by 76 percent, extreme working hours for correctional officers including 48 to even 72-hour shifts, and staffing shortages causing chaos and grave danger at our prisons. For too long, the concerns of our correctional officers advocating for necessary reforms have fallen on totally deaf ears in Albany. Kathy Hochul must take immediate action to ensure the hardworking correctional officers of New York can do their jobs safely and effectively. "This is a crisis of epic proportion in our corrections system caused by New York State's catastrophic policies."

Signup for our newsletter

DOCCS rescinds 70/30 plan in effort to restore workforce

COMPANY

CUSTOMER SUPPORT

SUBMISSION FORMS

BEYOND THE NEWS