The wildcat strike by New York State corrections officers has reached nine days, leading to staffing shortages, lockdowns, and concerns over inmate safety. The strike, which is not authorized by the union and illegal under state law, has seen officers at 36 of the state’s 42 prisons refusing to report for duty.
As a result, Gov. Kathy Hochul has deployed thousands of National Guard troops to affected facilities, and the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) has suspended all inmate visitations.
Why Are Prison Guards Striking?
Correction officers are demanding:
- Better pay and benefits
- Increased staffing levels
- Improved safety measures
- Changes to the HALT Act, which limits solitary confinement as a disciplinary tool
Rising Violence in Prisons:
- Assaults on prison staff rose from 1,043 in 2019 to 1,938 in the first 11 months of 2024.
- Assaults on inmates more than doubled, from 1,267 in 2019 to 2,697 in 2024.
State’s Response to the Strike
⚖ Legal Actions & Penalties:
- A judge ordered officers back to work last week, but they have refused.
- DOCCS has declared striking officers absent without leave (AWOL) and is docking their pay for each missed day.
- The state is considering further penalties under the Taylor Law, which could result in:
- Loss of health insurance
- Further disciplinary actions
National Guard Deployment:
- Thousands of National Guard troops are filling in for striking guards.
- Prisons have gone into lockdown, with minimal movement allowed inside facilities.
Inmate Death Raises Safety Concerns
Over the weekend, 61-year-old inmate Jonathon Grant was found unresponsive in his cell at Auburn Correctional Facility, one of the prisons where National Guard troops have been deployed.
Grant’s Background:
- Serving a 34-to-40-year sentence for rape and burglary.
- Pronounced dead on Saturday.
- Cause of death pending autopsy.
Legal Aid Society’s Concerns:
“Since the strike began, we have received dozens of reports from incarcerated clients unable to access critical medical care and essential prescriptions, including blood pressure medication and insulin.”
An inmate at Woodbourne Correctional Facility described the lockdown conditions:
“Our cell block has been on lockdown for a week, with only four National Guard officers managing 57 inmates.”
