ALBANY, NY - At a hearing on Wednesday, May 14th, Department of Corrections and Community Supervision Commissioner Daniel Martuscello said that statewide prison closure were not in the governor's original budget proposal, but it was added to the most recent one after the correction officers went on strike in February.
According to WCAX, later during that same meeting, a lawmaker and a union representative got into a heated discussion about the strikes. Assemblyman Edward Gibbs of New York City claimed that the strikes were a tactic to distract from the indictment of corrections officers after the fatal beating of inmate Robert Brooks.
He then claimed that there were fewer incidents of violence when the National Guard took over during the strikes. Gibbs said, "You guys did this illegal strike because you got caught killing a black man on camera, and you have to figure out some way to distract from the indictment."
In response, Wayne Spence, president of the Public Employees Federation said, "There was a lot more than three. So you wanna say what you wanna say, you have the right, Assemblyman, but then you're full of it."
Martuscello said while those who led the strikes will never work for the state again, DOCCS is moving forward with grievance hearings for those who were terminated for participating in the strikes, with some who may be able to get re-hired under strict conditions.
WWNYTV reported that due to the strikes, Jefferson County taxpayers are paying more than $400,000 to house inmates waiting to be picked up to go to state facilities. The Jefferson County Correctional Facility is full. Administrative Sergeant Joel Dettmer said, "Increase in stress for all those involved, whether it's officers, incarcerated individuals, facility staff that needs to see the need of those people."
The facility is so full that some inmates are still having to be transferred to other prisons. Dettmer said, "We are currently housing male and female inmates out for those areas that we need more room."
The overcrowding was a problem that was exacerbated by the statewide correction officer strike that spanned more than 20 days. More than 2,000 correction officers were fired by the governor and the state put a pause on transferring "state-ready" inmates to understaffed state facilities. "State-ready" refers to those who were convicted and waiting to be transferred to a facility and parole violators.
As of this writing, more than 2,000 inmates are waiting for pickup at county jails across the state. Jefferson County is currently holding 37 inmates at a cost to the taxpayer. Dettmer said, "Currently, we're at about $415,000 since this began as far as a justifiable live expense to the county for housing the state-readies here, and us having to house inmates out because of it."
The intake of state-ready inmates to male facilities resumed on May 5th and state-ready inmates to female facilities started again mid-April. However, Dettmer said that only one female has been transferred from Jefferson County so far.
He said, "The way things are going schedule-wise right now, if they're only taking one or two at a time, we're still going to have people because people continue to be sentenced every week." A spokesperson for the DOCCS said, "We are working to ensure every county with waiting lists is accommodated as we resume intake."
According to WCAX, later during that same meeting, a lawmaker and a union representative got into a heated discussion about the strikes. Assemblyman Edward Gibbs of New York City claimed that the strikes were a tactic to distract from the indictment of corrections officers after the fatal beating of inmate Robert Brooks.
He then claimed that there were fewer incidents of violence when the National Guard took over during the strikes. Gibbs said, "You guys did this illegal strike because you got caught killing a black man on camera, and you have to figure out some way to distract from the indictment."
In response, Wayne Spence, president of the Public Employees Federation said, "There was a lot more than three. So you wanna say what you wanna say, you have the right, Assemblyman, but then you're full of it."
Martuscello said while those who led the strikes will never work for the state again, DOCCS is moving forward with grievance hearings for those who were terminated for participating in the strikes, with some who may be able to get re-hired under strict conditions.
WWNYTV reported that due to the strikes, Jefferson County taxpayers are paying more than $400,000 to house inmates waiting to be picked up to go to state facilities. The Jefferson County Correctional Facility is full. Administrative Sergeant Joel Dettmer said, "Increase in stress for all those involved, whether it's officers, incarcerated individuals, facility staff that needs to see the need of those people."
The facility is so full that some inmates are still having to be transferred to other prisons. Dettmer said, "We are currently housing male and female inmates out for those areas that we need more room."
The overcrowding was a problem that was exacerbated by the statewide correction officer strike that spanned more than 20 days. More than 2,000 correction officers were fired by the governor and the state put a pause on transferring "state-ready" inmates to understaffed state facilities. "State-ready" refers to those who were convicted and waiting to be transferred to a facility and parole violators.
As of this writing, more than 2,000 inmates are waiting for pickup at county jails across the state. Jefferson County is currently holding 37 inmates at a cost to the taxpayer. Dettmer said, "Currently, we're at about $415,000 since this began as far as a justifiable live expense to the county for housing the state-readies here, and us having to house inmates out because of it."
The intake of state-ready inmates to male facilities resumed on May 5th and state-ready inmates to female facilities started again mid-April. However, Dettmer said that only one female has been transferred from Jefferson County so far.
He said, "The way things are going schedule-wise right now, if they're only taking one or two at a time, we're still going to have people because people continue to be sentenced every week." A spokesperson for the DOCCS said, "We are working to ensure every county with waiting lists is accommodated as we resume intake."
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