New York State’s troubled prison system is having ripple effects on jails in Onondaga County. Inmate murders, an illegal strike, and proposed prison closures are forcing changes in local staffing and inmate population.
More than 2,000 state prison officers were fired earlier this month for failing to return to work after a three-week long wildcat strike. That could help address the persistent shortage of corrections officers at Onondaga County’s jails and others across the state. Sheriff Toby Shelley told the legislature’s public safety committee Tuesday they’ve already heard from some of the fired guards.
“We had as of yesterday, 49 knocking on our door looking to get hired,” Shelley said. “It’s a gray area who we can hire if you’re watching the lawsuit in Oneida and Chemung Counties because of their certification. So we’ve been looking at how many of those people we can hire and stay within our budget.”…