New York state officials announced the termination of over 2,000 prison guards on Monday for failing to return to work following a weekslong illegal strike, Fox News reports.
The action, deemed a “wildcat strike” due to its lack of union sanction, violated state law prohibiting strikes by most public employees.
The state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) declared an end to the strike after reaching a new agreement with the New York State Correctional Officers & Police Benevolent Association (NYSCOPBA) over the weekend. However, the deal was contingent on 85% of striking staff returning to work by Monday morning, a threshold that was not met.
Despite the missed target, DOCCS Commissioner Martuscello stated that the state would honor some provisions of the agreement, including those pertaining to overtime work.
The strike, which began on February 17, saw guards walking off the job at numerous state prisons, citing grievances over working conditions. Inmates have since reported deteriorating conditions within the facilities.
Governor Kathy Hochul had previously deployed the National Guard to supplement prison staff during the walkout. Commissioner Martuscello confirmed that the National Guard would remain in place as the DOCCS launches an aggressive recruitment campaign to bolster its ranks.
Before the strike, New York’s prison system had approximately 13,500 security staff. As of Monday, around 10,000 are available for duty.
The situation is further complicated by several investigations into inmate deaths. A special prosecutor is currently investigating the March 1st death of 22-year-old Messiah Nantwi at Mid-State Correctional Facility. Allegations have surfaced that Nantwi was brutally beaten by correctional officers, leading to 15 staffers being placed on administrative leave. Court documents filed by the state attorney general’s office suggest “probable cause to believe” that up to nine officers may have been involved in Nantwi’s death.
Mid-State is located across the street from Marcy Correctional Facility, where six guards are facing murder charges in connection with the December beating death of inmate Robert Brooks.
Additionally, Jonathon Grant, a 61-year-old inmate, was found unresponsive in his cell at Auburn Correctional Facility last month amid the labor strike. While it remains unclear if staffing shortages contributed to his death, the incident adds to the growing scrutiny of conditions within the state’s prisons.
The deal reached over the weekend includes a 90-day suspension of a state law provision limiting the use of solitary confinement, addressing a key complaint raised by the guards. During this period, the state will assess the potential risks to staff and inmate safety associated with reinstating the law. The agreement also stipulates 12-hour shifts for guards and assurances that the DOCCS will not discipline officers who participated in the strike, provided they returned to work by the Monday deadline – a deadline that many ultimately missed, leading to their termination.
