HALT Legislation goes into effect amid continuing violence

DANNEMORA | Nine officers needed to be treated at upstate hospitals after a series of attacks and fights last week at two maximum-security correctional facilities left officers with a variety of injuries, including a concussion, broken ribs and dislocated shoulder. According to the New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association April 4, the violence continues statewide at facilities as HALT legislation went into effect on April 1, further weakening the disciplinary system that is aimed at deterring attacks on staff and inmates by violent inmates. On Wednesday, March 30, one officer sustained a concussion when an inmate, who faked attempting suicide by tying a bed sheet to his cell bars, fought with officers inside his cell, injuring two officers at Great Meadow Correction Facility. The officer who sustained a concussion was transported to Glens Falls Hospital for treatment, union reps said. On the same day at Upstate Correctional Facility, two officers sustained minor injuries attempting to stop five inmates who began fighting inside of a classroom. The following day, March 31, six officers were transported to Alice Hyde Medical Center for injuries sustained at the hands of inmates at Upstate Correctional Facility. The most serious of the injuries were one officer who sustained broken ribs after an inmate attacked him inside his cell and a second officer who sustained a dislocated shoulder when an inmate exited his cell and aggressively came towards two officers who needed body holds to get the inmate under control. In all, there were five separate incidents at the facility that day that injured the officers. The same day HALT went into effect, two more attacks occurred at the facility. One inmate, already in a Special Housing Unit for disciplinary measures, reached out through his door hatch and grabbed two officers' arms and struck both in the face and spit on them. The officers were eventually able to force the inmate's arm back into the cell through the door hatch and secured the hatch. Both officers were taken to Alice Hyde Medical Center for arm and hand injuries and exposure to bodily fluids. The second incident occurred inside a classroom where seven inmates stood up from their desks and began exchanging punches. Initially, all orders to stop fighting were ignored. The inmates were eventually removed from the classroom and brought to the infirmary to be treated for their injuries. One inmate sustained a laceration that was consistent with a cutting-type instrument. No weapon was recovered. After treatment, the inmates were placed back in their cells and now face disciplinary charges. In addition to the attacks at Great Meadow and Upstate, two officers were injured at Clinton Correctional Facility last week, when an inmate violently attacked them in the recreation yard, punching one officer seven times in the face before being contained by staff. NYSCOPBA Northern Region Vice President John Roberts said "With the implementation of HALT last Friday, the chaos continues in our state correctional facilities. All HALT did is weaken a discipline system that is aimed at protecting staff and inmates from violent attacks by other inmates. "As we saw with the NYCLU settlement years ago, this ill-conceived legislation will only make our prisons more dangerous than they already are. Multiple incidents like what occurred at Upstate last Thursday, will become more commonplace. Much like bail reform, HALT was rushed through hastily, without any insight from the men and women who are on the front lines and are the victims of these violent attacks. These problems are not going to go away and they need to be addressed now by the legislature, not down the road." Assemblyman Billy Jones statement on uptick in violence at local correctional facilities On April 4, Assemblyman Billy Jones again condemned the continued violence and said the recent pattern is why he voted against the HALT Act legislation. "The uptick in violence at local correctional facilities is frankly unacceptable and the state must do more to protect the North Country residents who work at these facilities. I worked for twenty years in corrections which is why I was concerned that this would happen when the HALT Act was enacted and ultimately why I voted against this bill. "There's been a rise in violence the last few years and it will only get worse as the state takes away the ability to discipline incarcerated individuals for acting violently. These facilities are already short-staffed- how is DOCCS supposed to recruit new correctional officers after hearing these horror stories? How are things supposed to improve? The state must do more, and I will continue to stand with correctional officers and staff and call for safer working conditions."

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HALT Legislation goes into effect amid continuing violence

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