By Hank Russell
Nassau County Executive and Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman today joined corrections officers in Elmira to blast Kathy Hochul for prison policies they say have left New York’s correctional facilities dangerously understaffed and increasingly violent, putting correction officers, civilian employees, and inmates at risk.
As previously reported in Long Island Life & Politics, members of the GOP Assembly Minority called on Hochul last year to repeal the Humane Alternatives to Long-Term Solitary Confinement (HALT) Act in her 30-day budget amendments. She also signed an executive order to deploy the National Guard at the state’s prison to cover the staffing shortfall as correction officers went on strike. She also called for an end to the “illegal” strike as prison guards walked off the job.
LILP also reported that, In the wake of worker protests, the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) temporarily suspended elements of the HALT Act that “’create[s] a significant and unreasonable risk to the safety and security of other incarcerated persons, staff or the facility,’” according to a memorandum from the department.
“One year after the 2025 prison strike, upstate facilities are still nearly 20% understaffed, violence continues to endanger staff and inmates, and the state is still relying on National Guard troops inside our prisons,” Blakeman said. “Instead of hiring more correction officers, Kathy Hochul doubled down on the HALT Act — fueling a surge in prison violence — and then tried to mask the fallout by releasing inmates early. What’s more, Hochul’s failed negotiations have put corrections officers out of work and sent costs soaring. New York needs more correction officers, not fewer, to restore safety and order.”
Madison County Sheriff and Candidate for Lieutenant Governor Todd Hood emphasized the consequences for law enforcement and public safety: “Correction officers are being sent into dangerous situations with their hands tied by the HALT Act. Officers are asking for common-sense safety measures, and Hochul is ignoring them. Fully staffing our prisons and giving officers the tools to do their jobs safely isn’t optional—it’s essential.”
Blakeman and Hood said that once elected, they will rehire officers unfairly fired for striking and hire additional corrections officers to reach full staffing levels. At the same time, they will work to repeal the HALT Act to restore safety, accountability, and respect in New York’s prisons.
In response, a Hochul campaign aide noted that Blakeman promoted Michael Sposato, a deputy undersheriff, to the county’s commissioner of corrections in 2022. The correction officers union blasted Blakeman’s decision and called on the county to fix the “ignored” and “understaffed” department. Sposato resigned in 2023.
Before that, Sposato served as sheriff under then-County Executive Ed Mangano, the aide said. The correction officers union called for Sposato to be removed from his post, citing security lapses at the jail and mismanagement.
The aide noted that Sposato was a major contributor to Nassau Republicans, giving them $10,000 and donating $400 to Blakeman’s campaign in 2021.
“Long Islanders remember when Bruce Blakeman named a campaign donor as Commissioner of Corrections, saw their officers’ union criticize him for it, then watched as he resigned early after a horrible tenure,” said Hochul campaign spokesperson Ryan Radulovacki. “Count on Blakeman to say anything to distract from his own record of mismanagement, constant support for Donald Trump, and raising costs on New Yorkers.”