NYS corrections officers still on strike at state prisons as DOCCS meets with union
New York corrections officers are now on day nine of their wildcat prison guard strike.
Mediation began Monday, as conditions are said to be deteriorating for law enforcement and people incarcerated at state facilities.
Correction officers and sergeants are refusing to report for duty at 36 of the state's 42 prisons, while others are still working and walking the picket lines.
Gov. Kathy Hochul deployed thousands of National Guard troops to the impacted prisons, and the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision canceled all visitations.
DOCCS Commissioner Daniel Martuscello said Monday talks are ongoing and the department is discussing "key issues" with the mediator and the New York State Correctional Officers & Police Benevolent Association.
Over the weekend, the DOCCS said any officer who fails to report to work is considered absent without leave and will be docked a day's pay for every day of the strike. The state is also considering other penalties under its Taylor Law, including the loss of health insurance. The strike is not authorized by the union and it is illegal under the state law.
A judge ordered the striking officers back to work last week, but they haven't returned. They say they're striking for better pay, better staffing and improved safety measures. They're also calling for changes to the HALT Act, which greatly reduced the use of solitary confinement as a disciplinary tool.
Assaults on prison staff rose from 1,043 in all of 2019 to 1,938 through the first 11 months of 2024, according to state officials. Assaults on incarcerated people more than doubled, from 1,267 in 2019 to 2,697 for the first 11 months of 2024.
Jonathon Grant dies at Auburn Correctional Facility
A 61-year-old inmate died over the weekend at one of the prisons where National Guard troops were deployed to replace striking officers. Jonathon Grant, who was serving a 34-to-40-year sentence for rape and burglary, was pronounced dead Saturday after being found unresponsive in his cell at the Auburn Correctional Facility, state officials said.
It wasn't clear if the prison's staffing situation was a factor in Grant's death. State officials didn't immediately release information about his health history. A medical examiner will determine the cause of death, state prison system spokesperson Thomas Mailey said.
The public defender's office that provided Grant's legal counsel expressed concern the strike had disrupted inmate medical care.
"Since the strike began, Legal Aid has received dozens of reports from incarcerated clients across New York State about their inability to access critical medical care and essential prescriptions, including blood pressure medication and necessary insulin shots," said The Legal Aid Society. "This tragic incident highlights the dangers posed by the ongoing strike, as staff in over 40 prisons refuse to fulfill their duties."
An inmate at Woodbourne Correctional Facility told The Associated Press in a phone interview that his cell block has been on lockdown for a week, with four National Guard officers assigned to his 57-person dorm, along with members of a correctional emergency response unit.
