Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - Lawmakers in Erie County are taking action Thursday by calling on officials in Albany to not only resolve the ongoing corrections officers strike, but also make sure that state-run correctional facilities are properly staffed going forward.
The Erie County Legislature unanimously passed a resolution on Thursday that calls on New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and state lawmakers to enact measures to address severe staffing shortages at state correctional facilities. The resolution will be sent to state lawmakers, the state Department of Corrections and other officials in Albany.
The resolution submitted by the Republican caucus cites numerous recent injuries to corrections officers that have highlighted staffing and security issues in the prison system, while many officers are forced to work double and triple shifts.
"The resolution stated, quite simply, that we're all looking to have better quality of life for the jail employees," said Legislator Frank Todaro on Thursday. "As we see what's going on with the strikes right now at all the prisons, with Wende [Correctional] especially in my district, I want to make sure that everyone's very aware that we're all in support of their movement right now."
Staffing has decreased significantly in recent years, with the president of NYSCOPBA citing a reduction of 5,000 security staff in the past five years, forcing officers to work forced double and triple shifts.
Legislature Minority Leader John Mills, who represents the district with Collins Correctional Facility, says it's time to back the thousands of corrections officers fighting for a safer work environment and better quality of life.
"It turns into higher levels of divorce among the COs, suicides among the COs, and not a fair shake for the prisoners in the correction facilities. If you go to sleep at night and you wind up with a four-hour sleep and then you have to go to work in the morning in the private sector, you're not at your best, and certainly your attitude is not going to be at its best," said Mills on Thursday. "It has finally come to a head, and now the COs are on strike, and we've got a three-ring circus going on in the prisons throughout New York State. And I think that's an embarrassment to New York State among the rest of the states in our country. And it reflects very poorly on how we're administering our correction facilities."
Mills believes what has transpired, to this point, at correctional facilities has gotten completely out of control, he throws a lot of the blame at the feet of the governor.
"It's time to to overhaul the situation," Mills said with WBEN. "The HALT Act that was outrageous, to put that in the position it's in now, because it prevents the COs from having any control over bad situations or bad manners among the prisoners. It's boiled over, and it's got to be stopped. And the longer it continues, the larger the wound opens up among the corrections people. And we're not going to have the lines running around the block for people that want to be correction officers."
Todaro was happy to see his fellow legislators across the aisle also supporting the corrections officers and voting in favor of this resolution.
"It's good because the governor needs to realize how important this is to all the members of the jails. It's a very, very important thing that we are supporting them," Todaro said in an interview with WBEN. "The complaints have been falling on deaf ears for some time, and it's been a pressure cooker, and it finally burst. It's sad that it had to come to this point, and it's even more sad that they're outside in the cold, standing for what they believe in - their families, their security to go to a safe work environment. There is nothing wrong with that. I come in, from the private sector, if I was to ever allow this to happen in the private sector, I would be in jail for allowing that to happen. Why is it that the State of New York is turning a blind eye to the current situation? It's just very bothersome."
Mills feels this resolution sent to Albany will provide a reality check to the state that lawmakers at the county level, regardless of political affiliation, also feel this is not appropriate the way it's going.
"We're not trying to call out any particular individuals, because, otherwise, this would never have passed here, because it would be a political situation. So we move forward with both sides of the aisle today, and came up with a resolution that everyone could vote on," he said. "I just tell the state people and legislators, and the administration at the state level that we're concerned about what's happening, and they should move in the direction to get this thing resolved as soon as possible."
Todaro feels this resolution is a direct message to Gov. Hochul and other officials in Albany that it's time to stop with the politics and get this strike resolved.
"Pay attention to the state employees that are working in these jails. They are men and women that care about their jobs, they care about their community, they care about their family. Pay attention, and get it done," he said.