New York Prison Strike Ends With 75% Of Officers Reporting Back To Work

The strike was implemented by officers who allege dangerous conditions inside prison walls and claim things escalated due to the HALT law.

A three-week strike resulting in lockdowns of prison systems across New York State has ended with close to 75% of corrections officers returning to their stations, Gothamist reported.

A statement from New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) Commissioner Dan Martuscello revealed roughly 10,000 officers and sergeants were back to work as of Mar. 10 after going on strike Feb. 17. Prior to, there were approximately 13,500 officers and sergeants working in the prison system. Martuscello said the strike ending is a sign of changes. “It is time to turn the page,” the commissioner said.

“We’ll start with a high-energy recruitment campaign moving forward with a clear focus on stabilizing and resuming operations while ensuring safety and security in our facilities.”

The strike was implemented by officers who alleged dangerous conditions inside prison walls and claimed things escalated due to the HALT law, known as the Humane Alternatives to Long-Term Solitary Confinement Act. The legislation places a limit on the amount of time a person can be placed in solitary confinement, in addition to a required hearing prior to.

To get officers back to work, prison officials upped concessions, including an overtime pay rate 2.5 times over the hourly rate for the next 30 days and a promise that officers returning to work would escape departmental discipline. With the HALT law being a concern, state officials also offered to look into the bill for possible amendments. However, not all the officers were eliminated from disciplinary actions.

According to Fox News, over 2,000 workers were terminated from their jobs as a result of them not returning to their post as public strikes are labeled as illegal. Martuscello said letters were sent out to those who weren’t pre-approved for leave. “Termination letters have been sent to over 2,000 officers who remained on strike. Officers and sergeants who did not have pre approved medical leave and didn’t return by this morning, 6:45 a.m. deadline, have been terminated effective immediately,” he said.

Buffalo-based lawyer Ralph Lorigo, representing close to 300 striking corrections officers, highlighted that the reason some did not return is because they don’t feel the state did enough, given the increase of violence and scrutiny within some state prisons.

Ten guards working at the Marcy Correctional Facility in upstate New York were charged in the beating death of inmate Robert Brooks. The incident was caught on video, going viral and making headlines across the nation. A medical examiner ruled Brooks died as a result of compression of the neck and multiple blunt-impact injuries.

Lorigo said that staff members are also increasingly becoming victims of violence, and that a report from DOCCS backs up his viewpoint. In December 2024, the reported number of assaults by prisoners on staff went up in addition to the number of assaults among prisoners. The attorney said that is something that needs to be addressed before wondering why some officers decided to not go back. “People need to understand the conditions that these officers have dealt with for over three years,” Lorigo said.

“They acknowledge and admit that they’re 70% staffed, which means that they have made people work 24 to 48 hours in a row.”