Chaos surrounding the illegal correction officer strike continues to find its way into the state budget conversation and beyond.
One of the primary sponsors of legislation to expand opportunities for incarcerated individuals to earn time off of their sentence is expressing concern over a proposal from Gov. Kathy Hochul that is said to be aligned with efforts to increase staffing in prisons through budget negotiations, as the New York State Correctional Officers & Police Benevolent Association (NYSCOPBA) and the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) engage in a public spat over post-strike communication.
Hochul is making a push to include some reforms in her state budget that could address the staffing crisis, including a proposal to drop the age required to be a correction officer from 21 to 18, authorizing the closure of up to five DOCCS facilities, as well as the earned time initiative. A proposal expanding earned time was included in the executive budget…