ALBANY, N.Y. (NEXSTAR) — On Friday, the New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association—the union for correction officers at state-run prisons—asked for an urgent meeting with the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, the agency that runs those prisons and oversees inmates. It’s the latest in the fallout from the 22-day strike, and NYSCOPBA wants to address problems like low staffing levels and unsafe work conditions.
The union also expressed concerns over plans to free thousands of people who are incarcerated up to 110 days early . DOCCS Commissioner Daniel Martuscello confirmed the plan, which detractors say will worsen public safety.
NYSCOPBA said the problems include 12‑hour shifts, irregular scheduled days off, and reduced vacation periods. They said that, since January 2023, staffing levels have dropped by over 2,000 officers through attrition and a failure to recruit. The union also noted that Governor Kathy Hochul’s decision to fire 2,000 officers during the unsanctioned strike severely worsened the understaffing problem that caused the strike.
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The union pointed to longstanding issues in New York’s correctional system. NYSCOPBA leaders have warned that the early release of inmates and the dismissal of criminal cases under 2019 pretrial discovery laws have let too many criminals walk free…