BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — In February, corrections officers across New York State took part in a wildcat strike over what they claimed were unsafe working conditions inside state prisons.
On March 10, DOCCS Commissioner Daniel Martuscello announced the strike was over and the over 2,000 people who remained on strike and did not return to work received termination letters. At the time, the commissioner said there were over 10,000 security staff working or available to work in prisons across the state.
WATCH: NYS DOCCS: Corrections officer strike is over; more than 2,000 officers terminated
The 7 News I-Team has taken a deeper look into the impact strikes had on staffing levels.
Through an official Freedom of Information Law request, the 7 News I-Team has learned more than 500 prison staffers, statewide, resigned between February and April of this year. Many of those resignations came during or after the strike.
The 7 News I-Team went through all of the numbers, prison by prison.
Here's how the data shakes out:
- 535 total resignations between February and April
- Mohawk Correctional Facility had the most resignations at 39
- More than 90 resignations came from Western New York
- Wyoming Correctional Facility had 27 resignations
- Lakeview Correctional Facility had five resignations
- Collins Correctional Facility had seven resignations
Western New York accounted for 17% of all resignations in that time frame.
Commissioner Martuscello told lawmakers last week, the total number of terminations and resignations is in the thousands.
"The department continues to recover from a three-week illegal job action that has impacted our ability to operate our facilities and have put us at unsustainably low staffing levels," Martuscello said.
The New York State Department of Corrections is also using a third-party recruiter to hire more corrections officers. The department said that the effort will start later this month.
Tuesday morning, NYSCOPBA, the union representing corrections officers, released a statement to the 7 News I-Team,
“Unfortunately, a large contingent of officers resigned from DOCCS between February and April statewide. The choice to resign were made by the individual officers, but in many instances, work life balance, prison violence, staffing levels, and mandatory overtime were a common theme among those who resigned. That is the unfortunate reality staff have faced for years and concerns NYSCOPBA has voiced to DOCCS consistently during that time period”
In April, 7 News obtained a memo in which DOCCS announced it would release some inmates early in response to the "current staffing crisis."
Days later, NYSCOPBA began calling for an "urgent meeting" with DOCCS over "critical workplace issues."
A few weeks later, Governor Kathy Hochul announced she was looking to change the age requirement for corrections officers from 21 to 18. According to the Associated Press, State lawmakers approved the measure, and Gov. Hochul is expected to sign it into law.
Earlier this month, DOCCS announced a pay increase was on the way for correction officers, sergeants and lieutenants.
