State data shows record pace of prison violence

ALBANY | As the end of New York's legislative session loomed, North Country lawmakers and the New York State Correctional Officers & Police Benevolent Association blasted the lack of major revision or repeal of the recently implemented HALT Act. The Humane Alternatives for Long Term (HALT) Solitary Confinement Act came as part of ongoing prison reforms, but, local leaders say, the drastic restrictions on placing problematic or violent incarcerated individuals into Special Housing Units has led to daily record-setting incidents of violence for officers, staff and inmates alike. As the current legislative session closed without revisions to the April 1 enacted law, Assemblyman Billy Jones, Sen. Dan Stec and Assemblyman Matt Simpson expressed frustration by the growing violence and inaction in Albany following weeks of ramped up advocacy for a repeal of the measure. This week, NYSCOPBA President Michael Powers said "Despite the repeated efforts of NYSCOPBA to call attention to the horrific conditions the HALT Act has created in our prisons, later this week, the Democratic Majority in the New York Legislature is poised to head home for the summer without so much as even acknowledging skyrocketing prison violence. "They've given no indication that they plan to address this crisis and to ignore the record rates of violence the HALT Act has created within the first two months of its implementation is inexcusable and frankly, disgraceful. Everyone who works and resides in a prison facility in New York State is doing so in a much more dangerous situation today than they were just a few short months ago because of the Legislature's epic failure, the HALT Act." STATE STATISTICS According to numbers reported by the New York State Department of Correction and Community Supervision, since April 1, overall violence in New York State correctional facilities rose by more than 35 percent. Inmate-on-staff violence has increased approximately 35 percent, while inmate-on-inmate violence has climbed 36 percent as of June 2. The single-week high of inmate-on-staff assaults was set during the week ending May 22 when 40 staff members were assaulted. According to DOCCS, the monthly average number of staff members assaulted in 2022 prior to the implementation of the HALT Act was 98. Post HALT, the monthly average jumped to 129 staff assaulted. "For years, we warned them HALT would do nothing to improve the lives of the incarcerated community and sadly that prediction has come true, but we didn't think they would ignore the issue once the facts backed our claims," Powers said. According to the state data, within the past two weeks there have been numerous unprovoked incidents of violence in state-run correctional facilities that resulted in a dozen officers injured. On May 18, two officers at Elmira Correctional were injured when an inmate refused to return to his cell and assaulted them. On May 22, one officer at Wende Correctional Facility suffered several injuries under similar circumstances, roughly four days before two officers at Clinton Correctional were assaulted and one was burned by scalding hot liquids. Five officers at Marcy Correctional were injured and hospitalized May 27 in two separate incidents where inmates reportedly faked suicide to lure officers into their cells. Also that day, an officer at Attica Correctional Facility was stabbed through the hand by an inmate during an assault on another incarcerated individual. On May 30, an officer at Great Meadow was cut and hospitalized during another fake suicide luring attack, union reps said. Last month, NYSCOPBA launched a "Repeal HALT campaign" to raise awareness of the dangerous working and living conditions inside New York State's correctional facilities and stood with Republican lawmakers of both the New York State Senate and New York State Assembly to announce legislation to repeal the HALT Act. So far, the Democratic Majority in both houses has refused to vote on the proposed legislation, officials said June 1. A federal lawsuit to overturn HALT is still pending. NORTH COUNTRY REACTIONS As the legislative session came to end without revisions or a full repeal, North Country Assemblyman Billy Jones (D-Chateaugay Lake) voiced extreme frustration by the violence and inaction. "Since the implementation of the HALT Act there has been a dramatic increase in violent attacks within our correctional facilities. This is exactly the reason that I have spoken out against the HALT legislation since it was introduced and voted against it. It is ridiculous with the increase in violence that legislative session is coming to an end, and there have been no changes to HALT. I met with members of the New York State Correctional Officers & Police Benevolent Association (NYSCOPBA) last week to discuss this unacceptable rise in both inmate-on-staff and inmate-on-inmate assaults," Jones said. "This increase in violence cannot be left unchecked, and New York State needs to address the HALT Act to ensure correctional officers and staff are in safe working conditions, and do not have to be under constant fear of being attacked." Also on June 1, Assemblyman Matt Simpson, who stood with NYSCOPBA at the Capitol one week prior, said "How much more violence do these correction officers need to endure? This is not a partisan issue. This is about protecting correction officers and inmates, but they have been ignored. It's that simple. We cannot condone violence and must protect our correction officers who already work in dangerous situations. "The special housing units still give inmates access to the outside, visitation and the same privileges as other inmates, but they are kept separate to reduce violence. Just like society outside of correction facilities, it is important to separate individuals when safety is at stake."

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State data shows record pace of prison violence

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