Stec-sponsored prison safety reform bills blocked by Senate Dems

ALBANY | Two bills sponsored and advanced by Sen. Dan Stec (R,C-Queensbury) to address the ongoing safety crisis inside correctional facilities were blocked by Senate Democrats. Senate bill S.2656, authorizing a repeal of the HALT Act, and S.8492 to establish a digital legal mail program, were struck down and prevented from being voted on by the entire Senate in a party-line vote by Democrats on the Senate Crime Victims, Crime and Corrections Committee. Stec has long been an outspoken advocate on behalf of correction officers and civilian staff, authoring these two bills after repeated visits to all the correctional facilities inside the 45th Senate District and meetings with officers, prison superintendents and DOCCS representatives. The two pieces of legislation he presented address key safety concerns he's heard about directly from officers. Stec said the failure to act on these concerns and his bills will only further the ongoing, documented increase in violence and contraband inside correctional facilities. "It's been 14 months since the end of the correction officer strike and despite promises from the governor to take prison safety seriously, correctional facilities are less safe than ever. The two major causes of these safety concerns are the need to address contraband and further resources to address violent, disruptive incarcerated individuals," Stec said Tuesday. "The two bills I brought forward today directly act on both those concerns. My legislation to repeal HALT would immediately make prisons safer, protecting COs, civilian staff and incarcerated individuals alike from violent and disruptive incarcerates. A digital legal mail system would make an impact in the effort to stop the smuggling of synthetic drugs and rampant chemical exposures," he continued. "Today was a chance for Senate Democrats to take sorely needed action and show COs and civilian staff that their very real safety concerns are being acknowledge and addressed. Like the governor, they've chosen to turn a blind eye. It's shameful behavior by them. Our COs and civilian staff deserve better and I'll keep fighting on their behalf," Stec concluded.

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Stec-sponsored prison safety reform bills blocked by Senate Dems

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