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If you place a keg of gun powder in an unrestricted environment, where it might be exposed to a spark or flame, or if you let it sit around and age until the chemicals inside become unstable, or if you place it in too confined of a space and not allow it to breathe, then it’s going to explode.
You might be able to postpone an explosion by setting it in a cool, dark space or by splashing some water on it or something.
But if you don’t do something to permanently neutralize the forces on that powder keg, it’s going to blow up sooner or later. No one will know just when or how much damage it will do.
New York state officials are sitting on a powder keg in their relations with state correction officers. And the potential for a dangerous explosion veers from the metaphorical into the literal with the real potential for danger if their differences continue to go unresolved.
Earlier this year, more than 13,000 state correction officers staged a 22-day wildcat strike, citing low staffing levels, inadequate security at prisons, overtime issues and the impact on prison security of the state’s HALT Act, which restricts the use of solitary confinement.
After the strike ended, the state fired 2,000 officers who refused to return to work and brought in 4,000 National Guard troops to help offset the staffing shortage. The state also temporarily suspended some provisions of the HALT Act while considering potential changes.
Half a year later, nearly 3,000 National Guard troops remain on the job to help maintain prison functions in the wake of an estimated staff shortage of 4,700 employees. Thirty-five of the state’s 42 prisons are currently operating with an average of 32% of guard posts unfilled, New York Focus reported.
State officials say they’re working on resolutions to the problems raised during the strike – issues that have long been simmering.
For now, the powder keg appears to be sitting in a cool, dark space. But the sparks are flying all around.
Earlier this month, the New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association issued an 11-page analysis to members acknowledging that the strike was illegal, unsanctioned and should not have happened. But, they stated, the underlying issues that prompted the strike remain unresolved, the Watertown Daily Times reported.
North Country Rep. Elise Stefanik, who is considering a run for governor against Gov. Kathy Hochul, added heat to the situation shortly afterward by accusing Hochul of knowing about the possibility of a strike beforehand and doing nothing, thereby placing lives in danger. It’s a valid issue to raise, but it’s added to the heat.
On Thursday, one of three officers convicted in connection with beating and choking an inmate in 2023 was sentenced to 37 months in prison.
That sentencing was a reminder of other recent incidents in which guards were accused of abusing or even killing inmates – another issue that must be addressed.
On top of all that, upcoming contract negotiations are due before the end of March, placing additional pressure on both the state and correction officers to resolve some of their issues before they get to the bargaining table.
But they can’t do that if both sides are off issuing memos and press releases and defending themselves against the other’s accusations in the press while trying to sway public opinion to their point of view.
If anyone needs to be on the same team, it’s the state government and the state employees entrusted with keeping state residents safe.
It’s time to stop the rhetoric. Stop the political posturing.
It’s time to sit down and prevent the powder keg from exploding by rationally discussing and debating the differences and finding solutions.
The HALT Act limiting the use of solitary confinement is based on scientific evidence that overuse of the practice actually makes prisons more dangerous, contributes to mental health issues among prisoners, is used disproportionately against minorities, and can lead to more violence and recidivism once prisoners are released.
Still, state officials need to trust the people in the trenches who claim that administrative segregation is an effective way to keep the peace within prison walls under certain circumstances. Some kind of modification of the act may be necessary.
State officials also have to work with correction officials to address the staffing shortages, which place guards and inmates in danger.
They both need to look at recruitment practices, training and compensation as contributing factors.
State corrections officials are already doing that in some ways (like reducing the age requirement for new officers). But they need to share their approach directly with employee representatives and work toward alleviating the shortages as quickly as possible — acknowledging that it could take some time to bring the staffing up to adequate levels.
Another question: How can state officials and correction officers work together to reduce staff absences that contribute to rising overtime costs and safety issues in prisons that are already stressed by understaffing?
How can the state increase compensation at a time when it’s threatened with federal budget cuts in other areas of need?
What can the two sides do to increase the safety of the officers as well as protect the health and civil rights of the inmates?
Mandatory body-cams, increased gate security to screen out weapons and drugs, and other technological tools are among the solutions, beyond increasing staff, that can help
None of these issues are a secret. Yet they continue to keep the state and its correction officers at odds with one another.
Engaging openly and with an understanding of the challenges each side faces is an essential step in preventing the powder keg from becoming more unstable.
It’s time for state officials and corrections officer representatives to put their differences aside for the greater good, and realize that being on the same team is what’s best for the state, what’s best for the corrections officers, what’s best for those incarcerated, and, most importantly, what’s best for the citizens of New York and their collective safety.
If cooler heads don’t prevail, the situation will only continue to get more dangerous and more explosive.
Getting together in a spirit of cooperation is the best way to ignite positive change.
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