NYSCOPBA requests 'urgent meeting' with state over 'workplace crisis'
ALBANY, N.Y. (WWTI) – New York state's corrections union is asking for an 'urgent meeting' with the state to discuss what they call a 'workplace crisis.'
In a letter from New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association (NYSCOPBA), the union said there are a number of issues affecting the their members' safety, working conditions and well-being.
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Some of these issues include staffing shortages, workplace conditions, the implementation of 12-hour shifts, scheduled regular days off and vacation periods.
The union would like to meet with Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) because these and other issues have 'reached a critical point following the recent organization of a grassroots strike organized by NYSCOPBA members to highlight unsafe working conditions.'
The strike ended up leading to the firing of 2,000 correctional officers. A recent announcement regarding the early release of inmates up to 110 days before the end of their sentence is also compounding the issue.
The early release of inmates undermines public safety and sends a troubling message to crime victims who continue to live with the trauma caused by those incarcerated and only highlights DOCCS failure to face the on-going consequences of staffing shortages in our prisons.
NYSCOPBA President Chris Summers
NYSCOPBA officials added that the state has 'been largely ignored by the Governor's leadership and DOCCS.'
'It's time for the State and DOCCS to recognize the importance of these concerns and work together with us to find lasting solutions,' Summers added. 'Temporary, short-sighted solutions of the early release of inmates is not a long-term solution needed to address workplace violence, staffing shortages and the inability to recruit new officers. '
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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