Collins, N.Y. (WBEN) - The Collins Correctional Facility in the Town of Collins remains on lockdown more than 24 hours after a Wednesday morning confrontation between corrections officers and a group of inmates.
WBEN has learned that inmates at the facility took one of the dorming blocks at around 1 a.m. Wednesday, though officials confirmed that all staff and incarcerated individuals were accounted for.
According to Kenny Gold, vice president of the Western Region for the New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association (NYSCOPBA), three corrections officers suffered minor injuries as a result of the incident, with one CO suffering a wrist injury and another suffering a knee injury.
"These injuries were specifically from, what was told to me, when the cell phones that were recovered, that they're talking about, they had to use force on that inmate where the cell phones came out of. And why cell phones? Most people [think it] might sound crazy because everybody has one. In prison, that's contraband. They're not allowed to have cell phones. They have tablets. That's probably one of the biggest things that they shouldn't have, but they obviously get it in. It's smuggled in somehow, whatever way they get them, but they get them, and that's when the injuries occurred," said Gold when providing the latest update with WBEN on Thursday.
Gold adds he doesn't know the specifics of the third injury that took place at the time of the incident Wednesday morning. A couple of the corrections officers may be out of work for quite some time.
According to Gold, a couple of COs had texted him, saying they got out after their 24-hour shift, but didn't have a chance toy talk with any member that were directly involved with the initial incident.
Following the attempted retrieval of contraband from the staff at the correctional facility, Gold says the inmates refused to start listening, or they wouldn't go back to their cubes.
"Most people don't realize in a facility like that, it's not like they're cells, it's a cubicle area. It's not a typical, what we would call a cookie cutter unit, either. They're all over the place," Gold described with Brian Mazurowski and Susan Rose. "They have their beds, and they can go wherever they want, whenever they want. Well, they're not supposed to, but they do it anyways. That's just how it works after the legislators put it in the HALT Act."
At that point, Gold says the Corrections Emergency Response Team (CERT) was called in out of Collins, and at some point, DOCCS management decided to take the officers off these units.
"There was never a hostage taken, but it took hours, and pretty much all of yesterday, after the facility was locked down, to get the facility up and running. And it's still not running [Thursday]," he said. "DOCCS said the Commissioner ordered a lockdown, and they're going to frisk all the areas, from what we're told, at least, and that's their plan as of today."
From what Gold was told, CERT was able to talk the inmates out without any force use from the situation.
"Apparently inmates were taking the different facilities, certain ones. I mean, obviously not all of them, and the officers are where they're supposed to be, as they always are at this point, without any issues," he detailed.
At the center of the issues at state correctional facilities for staff members includes working conditions, as well as the challenges presented as a result of the HALT Act. Gold feels prisons can't run in New York without safety being a top priority, and politicians in Albany don't seem to be listening to anyone's call for help.
"They don't even care about our members, like most of the politicians, and what the members feel of the department, no one supports them whatsoever. You're going to push everybody out. And if you run that like a business, if you sit back and think the people that are running this department, and if it was a regular business, they would be fired already for what they're doing. They're driving everything right into the ground, and that's before [being] worried about even the inmates," Gold said emphatically. "That's what our members do day-in and day-out. They're right there, right front-and-center, with the convicts every single day, getting assaulted, dealing with the problems, just like what happened yesterday."
Gold adds what happened at Collins Correctional on Wednesday will likely happen again somewhere else in the state, but it's going to be worse.
"Until something catastrophic happens - it's not going to be if, but when - they don't listen to anything we say. And it's so disheartening for the men and women, and that's what's driving people out, too," Gold said.
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The New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision released the following statement late Wednesday afternoon:
"Earlier [Wednesday] morning at the Collins Correctional Facility, an incarcerated individual was found attempting to discard contraband. There was a use of force which resulted in the recovery of two cell phones. The other incarcerated individuals in his dorm became agitated and attempted to check on the incarcerated individual in possession of the phones, who was not injured. On site, staff and supervisors de-escalated the incident and the incarcerated returned to their cubes.
"Later that morning, as a result of various potential threats, staff exited three dorms without incident. There were no hostages taken in any of the three dorms. After ordering the facility locked down, Commissioner Martuscello, who arrived at the facility early this morning, activated emergency protocols, including negotiating teams, who successfully restored staff to the units and achieved a peaceful resolution.
"Everyone is safe, one officer sustained a minor injury and returned to duty. No incarcerated individuals were injured. The facility will remain locked down for a full facility frisk."
New York State Police has been on site helping monitor the situation at Collins Correctional Facility, as well as members of the Erie County Sheriff's Office. DOCCS is the lead entity on the case.