ALDEN, N.Y. (WKBW) — Several months after corrections officers went on a wildcat strike across New York State, the officers’ union, NYSCOPBA, shared with 7 News how they think the agreement that eventually ended the strike is working in state prisons.
NYSCOPBA President Chris Summers and Western Region Vice President Kenny Gold told me they’ve seen both pros and cons ever since the agreement with DOCCS was signed.
WATCH: ‘A mixed bag’: NYSCOPBA leaders on the state of corrections, post-strike
“It has been a mixed bag,” Summers said. “Some of the things have worked.”
PRO: Partial suspension of HALT Act
Gold told me that since a partial suspension of the Halt Act, which limits solitary confinement in prisons, both "inmate on staff" and "inmate on inmate" assaults are on pace for a 30 percent decline when compared to last year.
“It’s going down. Exactly why? Because they suspended the HALT Act after the strike, just like we told them [would happen],” Gold said.
PRO: DOCCS recruitment push is adding more members
Summers told me the state’s commitment to recruitment is slowly adding people, and he feels you can see it in the numbers in the recruitment classes.
“Every time there is a new class, those numbers have grown,” Summers said.
CON: Prisons remain understaffed
“There’s still no work-life balance," Summer said. "They are still getting mandated. We are on 12-hour shifts now, but they are getting mandated 16 hours.”
“The lack of work-life balance is still there, and it’s driving some folks out while we are trying to get people in," Gold said. "Because of that, recruitment is needed now more than ever."
CON: No change in the number of chemical exposures
“Exposures are definitely still up statewide,” Summers said.
“Just in the last week alone, Collins had more exposures go out, Wende had [three staff members and two inmates] go out Monday, Orleans had an officer searching the package room, which mind you there is a secure vendor program, and found powdery substance in a sneaker and a sergeant and officer went out to different hospitals,” Gold said. “Ambulances are in and out of these prisons.”
