In a significant development in Albany, New York, over 2,000 prison guards were dismissed on Monday due to their continued absence from work following a prolonged unsanctioned strike that seriously disrupted the correctional system in the state. Despite this, officials noted that sufficient numbers of officers had returned, allowing the state to declare the end of the illegal work stoppage.
“After 22 days of an unlawful strike, the governor and I are pleased to report it has now concluded,” stated Commissioner Daniel Martuscello in a virtual press conference. A resolution between the state and the union representing the guards was reached to conclude the strike over the weekend. However, the agreement was dependent on at least 85% of the workforce returning by Monday morning. Even falling short of the 85% mark, Martuscello assured that the state would still adhere to the agreement’s overtime and certain other terms.
The National Guard will temporarily continue their supportive role within the prison facilities as the state embarks on a vigorous recruitment drive to bring in new staff. Currently, around 10,000 security personnel are ready to work in state prisons, a decrease from the 13,500 before the strike began.
More than 2,000 officers who failed to come back were immediately terminated. Those without approved medical leave who did not return by the set deadline have been dismissed effective this morning, emphasized Martuscello. Requests for comments were sent to the New York State Correctional Officers & Police Benevolent Association, the union representing the guards.
The labor unrest began on February 17 when guards began an illegal strike over working conditions at numerous state prisons, prompting Governor Kathy Hochul to deploy the National Guard to sustain prison operations. During the strike, inmates reported worsening conditions, and a recent troubling incident involved the death of a 22-year-old inmate near Utica, now under investigation by a special prosecutor.
This walkout contravened state legislation prohibiting strikes by most public employees and wasn’t officially supported by the guards’ union. Two prior attempts to negotiate an end to the strike did not encourage enough guards to return. A recurring issue in these negotiations is the suspension of a state law visitation that caps solitary confinement use, now paused for 90 days, alongside adjustments to shift lengths and assurances that participating officers will not face discipline if they returned by Monday.
Since the initiation of the walkouts, multiple inmate deaths have occurred, though no direct connections to the strike-related conditions have been confirmed. Special attention has turned to the case of Messiah Nantwi in Mid-State Correctional Facility, with Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick leading a special prosecutor investigation. Legal documents point to potential culpability involving up to nine officers concerning this incident.
Following Nantwi’s death, 15 prison staff members were placed on administrative leave. This marks the second serious investigation into inmate deaths within state prisons in recent months, with another major case arising last December, resulting in murder charges against six guards.