Prison protest negotiations moved up amid new calls to end dayslong strike
News 12 has obtained new information from New York National Guard members filling in behind bars at some of the state’s most dangerous prisons, including videos showing filthy living conditions and written accounts of alleged dangerous guard-to-inmate ratios.
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A series of meetings to begin negotiations toward ending a dayslong state prison strike impacting correction officers and incarcerated individuals statewide has now been pushed up from late next week to begin on Monday, according to union representatives.
NYSCOPBA forwarded News 12 a statement from the state appointed mediator, Martin Scheinman, that read, “At the initial meeting today, NYSCOPBA pressed for formal mediation to start more quickly. Based upon NYSCOPBA’s arguments, I suggested it was a good idea to begin earlier and the Commissioner of DOCCS; and his Chief of Staff, and the Director of OER, readily agreed. Therefore, the formal mediation will begin Monday, February 24, 2025.”
State Assemblyman Brian Maher held a news conference Friday outside of Wallkill Correctional Facility, where dozens of correction officers join hundreds on the picket line statewide in protest of what they say are dangerous working conditions, staffing shortages and 24-hour work mandates allegedly caused by the 2022 reform act, HALT, which, among other things, limits the time incarcerated individuals can spend in segregated confinement.
“Halt HALT. We got to stop this now and the governor has the ability to do it, ” said Maher who is calling on Gov. Hochul to take immediate steps to end the strike. “Use your emergency powers for a period of three months; do a look back. Let’s see if those violent assaults go down.”
The state temporarily suspended parts of HALT during an emergency order on Thursday during an effort to incentivize correction officers’ return to duty.
Critics, however, disagree with any reverse changes to reforms and raise questions about the timing of the strike – the same week as arrests and indictments against state correction officers accused of murdering Robert Brooks at Marcy Correctional Facility.
News 12 has obtained new information from New York National Guard members filling in behind bars at some of the state’s most dangerous prisons, including videos showing filthy living conditions and written accounts of alleged dangerous guard-to-inmate ratios.
“We were given over 30 keys to four floors with 291 inmates. Said go pass chow. We have one CO who has been on the job for 4 1/2 helping us. The first time we go pass food, we get covered in {an} unknown liquid,” one account claims. “We had over 20 cell fires today that resulted in three national guard soldiers sent to the hospital for smoke inhalation. {We’ve} had intentional overdoes, things on fire thrown at us, hangings, people threatening to stab themselves with razors.”
State officials have yet to comment on the impact of the strike inside prisons and have not returned News 12’s inquiries regarding concerns from incarcerated individual’s loved ones and prisoners.
“There’s no more commissary. There’s no more medical. No more hot meals,” one prisoner tells News 12.
In the meantime, Maher, who claims prison staffing levels reached “critical” years ago, even before the strike, says the situation could get worse before it gets better.
“Nobody wants that but that’s a reality that’s been caused by New York state,” says Maher.
As for when and how the strike may end, retired Woodbourne Correctional Facility deputy superintendent of safety Adam Ramirez says, “We are going to be out here until they decide to sit down at the table and have real talks.”
