By Will Barclay
The alarming crisis in our state prison system must be addressed swiftly and decisively by Gov. Kathy Hochul. Correctional officers have reached a breaking point, and this week have staged demonstrations outside facilities across the state. Working conditions at these facilities have worsened dramatically, and the policies that caused the issues must be repealed immediately. Between limiting the use of special housing units, repeated prison closures, and ignoring systemic staffing shortages, Albany Democrats have put the correctional system on a dangerous path.
The prison staffing situation is evolving by the hour, but bringing in the National Guard to secure prisons must be recognized as a potentially dangerous last resort. The bravery and competence of the National Guard should not be questioned, but these individuals aren’t specifically trained in law enforcement and criminal detention. This situation requires a commitment from the governor to address the root causes of the problems in our state prisons, and there are many; anything less simply will not do.
I visited Auburn Correctional Facility yesterday to show my support for the men and women on the front lines. Corrections officers have voiced their concerns for years, and this week they’re speaking even more loudly—they need more staff, less mandatory overtime and better safety conditions. To that end, the most egregious catalyst to the prison crisis, the Humane Alternatives to Longer-Term Solitary Confinement (HALT) Act, should be the first thing to go.
According to the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision statistics, inmate-on-inmate assaults have skyrocketed since the HALT Act was implemented in mid-2022. Inmate assaults are up 169%, staff assaults are up 76%, and incidents of illegal contraband increased by 32% in that same time period. The data doesn’t lie: this policy has been an unmitigated failure.
Yesterday, I urged the governor to include a HALT Act repeal in her 30-day budget amendments. Each year, a few weeks after presenting the Executive Budget proposal, the governor submits changes or adjustments, which are typically technical in nature. Repealing the HALT Act would have been a necessary sign that this administration is serious about improving the level of safety in state prisons. Regrettably, the governor instead added a provision that allows for the closure of up to five more prisons in 2025.
This is exactly the wrong approach and the latest insult to the men and women who have reached their breaking point. The policies and practices Democrats implemented forced upon the prison system put lives in danger and brought New York to the disastrous situation we’re currently in. Doubling down on the status quo is dangerous, dysfunctional, and the last thing New York’s correctional officers need.
Will Barclay (R,C-Pulaski) is the Assembly Minority Leader.