Prison Strikes Across NY Spark Hochul's Plan To Send In National Guard

NEW YORK — Governor Kathy Hochul announced preparations on Tuesday to utilize the New York National Guard to protect correction officers who are currently on the job, as others strike at prisons across New York.

The goal, she said, is also to protect individuals in the care of the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision —and the communities surrounding the correctional facilities.

Hochul also directed Department of Corrections and Community Supervision Commissioner Daniel Martuscello and senior administration officials to meet with leaders from the New York State Correctional Officers & Police Benevolent Association to call for an end to the "unlawful work stoppage that is causing significant public safety concerns across New York," she said.

According to News 12, protests were held Tuesday outside six state prisons in Ulster, Dutchess and Sullivan Counties, including the Otisville, Woodbourne, Ulster State Correctional Facility, Wallkill, Eastern Correctional Facility and Fishkill facilities.

The New York State Correctional Officers & Police Benevolent Association did not immediately respond to multiple requests by Patch for comment.

Spectrum News reported that the New York State Correctional Officers & Police Benevolent Association members were protesting working conditions, including staffing and safety. Specifically, the report said, an incident last week at the Collins Correctional Facility led to "three minor injuries to staff members and the prison going on lockdown."

"The illegal and unlawful actions being taken by a number of correction officers must end immediately," Hochul said. "We will not allow these individuals to jeopardize the safety oftheir colleagues, incarcerated people, and the residents of communities surrounding our correctional facilities."

She added that she had directed her administration to meet with union leadership to resolve the situation and has also ordered the National Guard to be mobilized "to secure our correctional facilities in the event it is not resolved by tomorrow. Correction officers do difficult work under challenging circumstances, and I have consistently fought for them to have better pay and working conditions and will continue to do so."

Hochul said she is preparing to deploy members of the New York National Guard to DOCCS facilities Wednesday if the unlawful work stoppage does not end, and will begin to take appropriate disciplinary action as necessary. The governor has also directed her counsel to work with the Office of the Attorney General on legal mechanisms such as the Taylor Law, which will compel employees to return to work, she said.

DOCCS Commissioner Daniel F. Martuscello III spoke out: "Earlier today, we met with NYSCOPBA President Chris Summers and his executive board to discuss a path forward to returning all facilities to normal operations and ending this illegal strike. The safety and security of the staff and incarcerated population is paramount to me. I value the hard work and commitment of the men and women at DOCCS who have had to sacrifice time with their families due to the current staffing shortage."

He added: "However, this illegal job action involving NYSCOPBA members is causing irreparable harm to the operations of the department and jeopardizing the safety and security of their co-workers within these facilities. We will continue to develop strategies to reduce assaults and to bring more staff on board with NYSCOPBA, the recognized bargaining agency for correction officers and sergeants. There is always room for progress and for disagreements, and we welcome continued dialogue with the union at the table. At this time, I am urging all those on strike to end this job action."