UPDATE: As corrections officers across New York continue to strike over what they claim are unsafe working conditions, we will be posting any updates that become available on our website here.
ORIGINAL: Corrections officers across New York State have been on strike since Monday over what they claim are unsafe working conditions.
According to the New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association (NYSCOPBA), the union representing the officers, as of Wednesday afternoon, there are about 30 correctional facilities in which "officers/sergeants are participating in either protesting current working conditions inside the prisons or refusing to enter for their scheduled shift."
NYSCOPBA said it has not sanctioned or condoned these actions and several facilities are not participating and are operating normally.
In response to the strike, Governor Kathy Hochul announced she has signed an executive order activating members of the New York National Guard "to help ensure the safety and security of New York State's correctional facilities" while the strike continues.
According to the governor's office, the executive order allows for additional overtime compensation for correction officers and other staff who are reporting for duty and actively working at the facilities. Hochul also directed the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision and the Office of Employee Relations to retain independent mediator Martin Scheinman to help bring an end to the strike.
“These disruptive and unsanctioned work stoppages by some correction officers must end as they are jeopardizing the safety of their colleagues, the prison population, and causing undue fear for the residents in the surrounding communities. In an effort to resolve this illegal work stoppage I have directed the appointment of highly respected independent mediator Martin Scheinman who will begin work immediately to return striking correction officers back to work. While I am confident we will resolve this illegal strike, I am grateful for the thousands of correction officers and staff that are continuing to report for duty - I thank them for their continued service and for doing the right thing.”
The governor's office said on Wednesday more than 3,500 members of the New York National Guard started reporting for duty at correctional facilities ahead of the larger deployment. The National Guard members will support and supplement current correctional staff on-site to "ensure safety and security." They will be tasked with distributing meals and medication to incarcerated individuals and helping maintain general order and wellness in the facilities.
In addition, New York State filed an injunction under the Taylor Law and a judge granted a temporary restraining order that mandates officers end the strike.
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— Derek Heid (@DerekHeid) February 19, 2025
A judge has granted a temporary restraining order that mandates all New York State correction officers on strike to stop
Gov. Hochul said earlier “legal action has already commenced to ensure compliance”
More coming on @wkbw pic.twitter.com/ol3Q2NDuP3
Early on Tuesday DOCCS issued a statement in response to the strike as well as a response to a series of demands from the striking officers. You can read the statement and the responses to the demands here.
On Wednesday we spoke with those at the Collins and Attica Correctional Facilities in support of the officers, who are raising their voices in frustration over unsafe conditions.
Alan Hrusa was a correction officer at Collins Correctional for 28 years until he retired this past December.
He said there are two main reasons his former co-workers went on strike — the Halt Act, which limits solitary confinement usage in prisons, and a lack of staffing.
“The working conditions in there are deplorable,” Hrusa said. “Due to the Halt Act, there’s no repercussions for the inmates’ actions anymore…[I worked] Just under 3000 hours of overtime in one year (2024). There’s no one else left to work.”
Republican Congressman Nick Langworthy joined those striking outside of Collins Correctional on Wednesday as well.
“They finally had to take matters into their own hands, and I salute these men and women for standing here and holding the line,” Langworthy said. “Governor Hochul, do your job, understand you can’t take the NYS corrections officers for granted anymore.”
Langworthy called on Hochul to step in and use executive powers to put a stop to the Halt Act.
“Repeal it, call a special emergency session, go in there and repeal it and let them do their jobs again,” Langworthy said. “I mean it’s not magic.”
Across the street from Attica Correctional young girls stood holding signs to support their fathers currently on strike. Hundreds have set up camp across the street and stood in solidarity through Wednesday’s snow.
Community members have been dropping off donuts, coffee and pizza. Hundreds of former and retired corrections officers joined together, standing around bonfires, to protest conditions at Attica. The strike is against the law, and these corrections officers could face fines.
“For them to get to this point, it's pretty serious,” said Anthony Mackiewicz, an Attica corrections officer for 35 years. “They know there's going to be monetary repercussions, and they may face losing their jobs. To them, it's worth that than going in there and losing their life inside those walls.”
Mackiewicz said conditions worsened over the last few years. Some corrections officers told me the current conditions are worse now than they were during COVID.
“I can honestly tell you my last five to seven years here when I left my house every day to kiss my wife, I wasn't so sure I was going to come home safe,” said Mackiewicz. “I could see the deterioration of the way the jail system is being run.”
Someone who also has more than 30 years in New York prisons is Jerome Wright, who was incarcerated for more than 30 years across New York State. He said he spent more than seven years at Attica in solitary confinement.
“We have a system that is outdated,” said Wright.
Wright was convicted of second-degree murder, manslaughter, robbery and burglary in the Bronx when he was 18. We were there in 2019 when he was released. At the time DOCCS accused him of violating parole. That case has been thrown out.
"Because of my advocacy for changes to prison policies, I was subjected to false allegations, but thankfully they were completely dismissed because they were categorically untrue,” said Wright.
Since his release, Wright became co-director of the HALT Solitary Campaign. Wright said the HALT Act, which limits the use of solitary confinement in New York prisons has been violated.
“It was the worst period of my entire life and I still suffered some of the vestiges of the trauma from that to this very day,” said Wright. “Yet they're complaining that they needed repealed, because it doesn't work? How can you say something doesn't work when you haven't fully implemented it?”
“The incarcerated population’s safety is in jeopardy,” said Wright.
“This is not a political thing, this a life and death thing,” said Mackiewicz.
Mackiewicz said the corrections officers who are stuck working in Attica want to get home to their families. Many at the strike on Wednesday emphasized they don’t want to be there, but have to be.
