Tensions continue to rise in New York as the state Department of Corrections enforces strict disciplinary measures against correction officers engaged in an ongoing wildcat strike, which has now entered its third week. The department has fired fewer than 10 officers and more than 350 are facing civil contempt charges, as reported by Gothamist.
Striking officers have been warned of health insurance cancellation, taking effect for them and their families as of yesterday—a move Governor Kathy Hochul believes won't be attracting new recruits, “They lost their health insurance today. This may affect their pensions. I don’t think a lot of people are gonna want to sign up to be in that situation,” she stated in an unrelated press conference, as captured by NY1 and as costs continue to mount with the strike estimated to cost the state around $106 million monthly the situation intensifies, with a reality that correction officers are demanding resolution to what they define as unsafe working conditions.
Underlying the labor unrest is the contentious HALT Act, which restricts the use of solitary confinement, and is seen by striking officers as a barrier to managing violent inmates effectively; despite some officers returning to work, Governor Hochul has maintained she will follow the law until the Legislature choose[s] to make any changes, according to Gothamist.
The upheaval in New York prisons has had stark ramifications, with seven inmate deaths since the onset of the strike, including the case of 22-year-old Messiah Nantwi at Mid-State Correctional Facility, “Deeply troubling, I’m analyzing the early reports on what is happening. The actual cause of death is not known, but it is my highest priority to get to the bottom of this and find out exactly what’s happening,” Hochul conveyed as reported by NY1; in an ongoing story where now 32 out of 42 prisons are affected, down from 38 last week, details like these underscore the complexities as the striking officers prepare to bring their concerns to state lawmakers in Albany.
Officials from both the state and the corrections officers' union had proposed a tentative deal, which included a compromise on the HALT Act, but the agreement was insufficient for many of the officers, prompting punitive actions from the state; striking officers now face termination as well as revoked health coverage for themselves and dependents, measures that were jointly announced by Daniel Martuscello, Commissioner of the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, and Jackie Bray, Commissioner of the Division of Homeland Security, during a virtual press conference cited by NY1.
