New York fires 2,000 prison guards following wildcat strike
Hochul calls for end to wildcat prison strike
A wildcat strike by guards at New York’s prisons, now in its second week, is fueling fears over deteriorating conditions behind bars after a 61-year-old inmate died over the weekend. FOX 5 NY's Briella Tomassetti has the latest details.
NEW YORK - New York State has fired more than 2,000 prison guards who failed to return to work after a weeks-long wildcat strike that severely disrupted the state's correctional system. While the strike officially ended, the state will continue relying on the National Guard and launching recruitment efforts to fill staffing gaps.
What we know:
On Monday, the state terminated over 2,000 correctional officers who did not return to work by the 6:45 a.m. deadline. The guards had been on strike since February 17, protesting working conditions. Governor Kathy Hochul deployed the National Guard to maintain operations in state prisons during the strike.
The state and the guards' union, the New York State Correctional Officers & Police Benevolent Association, reached a deal over the weekend that included overtime provisions and a 90-day suspension of limits on solitary confinement. However, the agreement required at least 85% of staff to return to work by Monday morning, a threshold that was not met.
Despite falling short of the requirement, Department of Corrections and Community Supervision Commissioner Daniel Martuscello confirmed that the strike was over and the state would honor the deal’s overtime and other provisions.
The backstory:
The strike, which was not sanctioned by the guards' union, violated a state law prohibiting most public employees from striking. Previous attempts to resolve the crisis failed when agreements did not bring enough guards back to work.
The work stoppage created major disruptions in state prisons, with inmates reporting deteriorating conditions. The National Guard was deployed to maintain prison security while the state attempted to negotiate a resolution.
What's next:
The state plans to launch an aggressive recruitment campaign to fill correctional officer positions. Currently, about 10,000 security staff remain available across state prisons, down from approximately 13,500 before the strike began.
The National Guard will continue to support prison operations until the staffing situation stabilizes.
Dig deeper:
Murder charges in beating death of inmate
Two months after body camera footage captured the brutal beating death of inmate Robert Brooks at an upstate New York prison, murder charges have been filed against those involved. Gov. Kathy Hochul called the attack "brutal" and stated that Brooks should still be alive today. FOX 5's Linda Schmidt has the story.
At least two criminal investigations into inmate deaths are underway.
- The March 1 death of Messiah Nantwi at Mid-State Correctional Facility is under investigation by Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick. A court filing from the attorney general's office states that as many as nine correctional officers may be implicated.
- In a separate case, six guards were charged with murder in the December death of Robert Brooks at Marcy Correctional Facility.
Additionally, multiple inmate deaths have been reported since the strike began, though it is unclear if strike-related prison conditions played a role.
What they're saying:
"After 22 days of an illegal strike, the governor and I are happy to report it is now ended," Martuscello said during a virtual press briefing.
An email seeking comment was sent to the New York State Correctional Officers & Police Benevolent Association, but no response has been reported yet.
The Source: This article was written using material from The Associated Press.