New York set to lower hiring age of prison guards to 18 amid correction officer shortage
New York is set to lower the minimum hiring age for prison guards from 21 to 18, seeking to boost the ranks of corrections officers during a shortage that was exacerbated by the firing of more than 2,000 guards after a weekslong strike crippled the state's prison system.
State lawmakers approved the measure on Wednesday and Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, is expected to sign it into law.
The bill establishes some rules for the younger guards, including policies that they cannot obtain or use firearms or transport inmates outside of prisons. They also must be supervised when performing 'contact roles' with inmates during the first year-and-a-half on the job.
The push to lower the age for correction officers came after guards walked off the job in February while striking to protest poor working conditions. Hochul was forced to deploy the state National Guard to prisons to maintain operations during the strike.
The governor ended up firing more than 2,000 guards who refused to return to work after the state and guards' union reached a deal to end the walkout, which lasted around three weeks. Hochul has barred the guards who were fired from holding other state jobs in the future.
The state corrections commissioner has since directed the department to begin the process of releasing some inmates early because of a shortage of guards. But the early discharges have been limited to inmates who were convicted of minor crimes and were already set for release in the near future. Inmates convicted of sex crimes, violent felonies or serious felonies such as murder, terrorism and arson would not be eligible for early release, the agency said.
The strike came after the high-profile fatal beating of Robert Brooks at an upstate New York prison in December, which was recorded on guards' body cameras and led to charges against more than a dozen people.
Another incarcerated person, Messiah Nantwi, died on March 1 after being injured in a series of beatings by guards, according to an indictment. Ten guards were charged over Nantwi's death, including two who were charged with murder.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
4 minutes ago
- The Independent
LA protests live: Curfew enforced for second night as anti-ICE protests spread to other major cities
Los Angeles officials have enforced a curfew on the downtown area for a second night as protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids pop up in other major cities. The Trump administration has filed a response to California Governor Gavin Newsom 's lawsuit to stop the 'unnecessary' deployment of U.S. Marines to Los Angeles, in addition to the 4,000 federalized California National Guard troops ordered into the city. According to the filing, the LAPD is 'unable to bring order' to LA, six days after protests began against ICE raids to round up those in the country illegally as part of Donald Trump 's hardline immigration policies. Protests and confrontations with police sparked wider problems of vandalism and looting in downtown Los Angeles. LAPD reported mass arrests. Local residents blame the president for exacerbating tensions through the deployment of troops. Mayor Karen Bass said the curfew was a response to the president's 'chaotic escalation' of the situation through his deployment of the Guard and the upcoming addition of 700 Marines, who are training 30 miles south of the city. Troops are authorized to temporarily detain individuals until law enforcement agents arrive to make an arrest, Major General Scott Sherman said this morning, and have begun to do so. They are backed up by unarmed Predator drones, which are being used for high-altitude surveillance. Pinned Where things stand today... The Trump administration responded to California Governor Gavin Newsom's lawsuit against the deployment of U.S. Marines and National Guard troops to Los Angeles, claiming the LAPD is "unable to bring order." Protests in Los Angeles over ICE raids led to vandalism and looting, prompting a curfew and mass arrests, with local residents blaming President Trump for escalating tensions. Mayor Karen Bass criticised President Trump's "chaotic escalation" of the situation through the deployment of troops. Governor Newsom slammed the federalization of the California National Guard, stating that, in addition to being 'illegal' and 'unnecessary,' it has depleted the state's ability to respond to large wildfires. The Department of Justice defended the deployment, asserting the President's right to quell violence and protect federal personnel, accusing Newsom of a "crass political stunt." Unarmed Predator drones are being used by the Department of Homeland Security for high-altitude surveillance of the protests in Los Angeles. Oliver O'Connell11 June 2025 15:27 LA mayor says curfew goes into effect from 8pm Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass has confirmed that the curfew will once again go into effect at 8pm in a section of downtown LA. 'Curfew remains in effect tonight 8 PM - 6 AM for Downtown Los Angeles to stop bad actors who are taking advantage of the President's chaotic escalation, she wrote on X. 'If you do not live or work in Downtown L.A., avoid the area and follow guidance from law enforcement. 'Vandalism and violence will not be tolerated.' 12 June 2025 04:26 California attorney general says its a 'huge red flag' that local police don't know how to engage with National Guard California Attorney General Rob Bonta said on CNN that local law enforcement agencies don't know the protocols for engaging with the National Guard or the Marines that were deployed in response to the Los Angeles protests. CNN's Kaitlin Collins asked Bonta on her show Wednesday night ' Are you or any of the senior officials in California aware of what the rules of engagement are for the National Guard and for the Marines who are on the ground in your state right now?' Bonta responded: I don't think anybody is, and that's a major problem and a huge red flag.' 'I think you just heard the [Los Angeles] police chief say that he's at an information deficit and would love to know more about what the protocols are, how the deconfliction is gonna work between the military forces and the civilian law enforcement agencies, how certain exigencies are gonna be addressed,' the attorney general continued. 'What happens if, God forbid, there's an officer involved shooting, who's gonna do the investigation? That should be known and it requires communication and candor and transparency between the National Guard and the Marines on the one hand, and law enforcement on the other. And I know local law enforcement have been asking these questions because they care deeply about it, but I'm not sure they've been satisfied with all the answers.' Rachel Dobkin12 June 2025 04:10 LA mayor warns 'vandalism and violence will not be tolerated' in reminder about city curfew Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass took to X to remind Angeleos of the city's curfew that officials started to enforce last night. She warned bad actors: 'Vandalism and violence will not be tolerated.' Rachel Dobkin12 June 2025 03:50 Newsom and Trump are in a strange meme war California Governor Gavin Newsom and President Donald Trump have been going head-to-head over the handling of the Los Angeles protests against ICE raids in the city. Newsom has challenged Trump's deployment of the National Guard in court, and the White House has been flirting with invoking the Insurrection Act. In recent days, both sides have posted a flurry of memes on X mocking the other. For his part, California Governor Gavin Newsom's office has shared posts mocking Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's love of wearing law-enforcement tactical gear, as well as memes comparing Donald Trump and White House deputy Stephen Miller to villains from the Star Wars franchise, and brushing off a critical video from Trump ally and actor Jon Voight using a common meme from The Simpsons, featuring an image of a newspaper with the headline, 'Old Man Yells At Cloud.' The Trump administration, which regularly bashes critics online from government accounts, has used similar tactics. In one post, the Department of Homeland Security borrowed a GIF featuring high-tech magnifying sunglasses from the Spy Kids movies to insinuate they would try to deport a popular fashion writer who has criticized the administration's position towards undocumented migrants. In another, in a response to a Star Wars -themed meme from Newsom, DHS drew from The Simpsons using a common meme format with the caption, 'Don't make me tap the sign,' in this case pointing to an X post that read, 'Liberals don't know things. They don't read history, they don't obsess over stats, the few data points they do see they forget.' Trump and Gavin Newsom locked in bizarre LA protests meme battle The administration and the governor have locked horns in courts, in back-and-forth statements, and, increasingly, with memes write Josh Marcus Rachel Dobkin12 June 2025 03:30 LA police chief gives shocking details about the actions of 'anarchists' at protests after dark LA Police Chief Jim McDonnell described in shocking detail the actions of what he calls 'anarchists' at protests once nightfall comes in a Wednesday evening interview on CNN: ' For most of the day and the organized protests, it's people who are out there expressing their feelings peacefully, generally speaking. Once nightfall comes, we start to see a different group of people, and among those people are people I would describe as black block type protestors, anarchists, if you will. They come prepared and they're very sophisticated. They do have radio communications. They do move around, they do monitor police channels and they'll create distractions in order to draw us away from a scene where we're about to make arrests. So where we have no choice but to go somewhere else. 'They have weapons of all kinds. We arrested a number of people last night for curfew violations. I think three out of the 14 were armed with weapons, seen in those backpacks that they'll have hammers, they'll break up curb stones and concrete bollards, break up [them] into smaller pieces, which they'll then throw at police...I've seen somebody today walking around with golf balls in a backpack... We've seen commercial grade fireworks being fired at our people with shrapnel being put in, from what I'm is pretty scary stuff when you look at it. Liquid being thrown on our officers. The attitude of our officers and the professionalism and restraint that they've shown is remarkable. They've done a tremendous job out there, and I'm very proud of them.' Rachel Dobkin12 June 2025 03:10 Watch LIVE: View of Downtown Los Angeles before citywide curfew Rachel Dobkin12 June 2025 02:50 Watch LIVE: Protesters rally at Roybal Federal Building In Downtown Los Angeles Rachel Dobkin12 June 2025 02:40 LA police chief issues warning to bad actors as city curfew nears Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell issued a warning to bad actors as the city's curfew nears: 'You will be arrested if you violate the law.' 'Today has been a better day,' McDonnell said on CNN about the protests against ICE raids in the city, calling it 'calmer.' But he warned: 'Once nightfall comes, in particular, we start to see others come out who are intent on violence and intent on disruption in a different way. So for those people our message is that we're watching very closely and you will be arrested if you violate the law.' Rachel Dobkin12 June 2025 02:30 Rachel Dobkin12 June 2025 02:10
Sky News
24 minutes ago
- Sky News
Why Trump's military 'birthday' parade is so controversial
For the first time in more than 30 years, tanks will roll through the capital of the United States. The 250th anniversary of the United States Army could see hundreds of thousands descend on Washington DC to watch as 60-ton M1 Abrams battle tanks and Paladin self-propelled howitzers rumble along the streets. But, like almost everything Donald Trump is involved in, it has not come without controversy or criticism. It wasn't originally planned as a birthday celebration - the event had been in the works since before Trump was elected - but earlier this year the President announced his intention add a massive military parade to the event, which would coincide with his own 79th birthday. Speaking earlier this week, Trump said it is going to be a "big day", adding: "We want to show off a little bit." Officials have estimated around 200,000 people could turn out, including protesters, plus 6,600 soldiers, 150 vehicles and 50 aircraft. More than 1,500 'No Kings' demonstrations have also been planned across the US, but the group has said it will not be holding events in Washington DC, in part to avoid a direct confrontation. It comes as the president warned that any protesters who rain on his military parade "will be met with very big force". Does the US typical hold military parades? Unlike other countries, military parades in the United States are fairly rare, but Trump has made no secret of his desire for one. The last time such a major display took place in the US it was in 1991, when tanks and thousands of troops paraded through Washington to celebrate the ousting of Iraqi president Saddam Hussein's army from Kuwait. During Trump's first administration, he ordered the Pentagon to look into holding a display after a visit to France in 2017. He was seemingly inspired after witnessing the country's Bastille Day parade, and attempted to plan a Veteran's Day parade for 2018. However, this was cancelled due to "ridiculously high" cost estimates. Trump ultimately settled for a display of tanks and other armoured vehicles during a fourth of July celebration, named Salute to America, two years later. What is happening on the day? Saturday will start with a wreath-laying ceremony in the morning at Arlington National Cemetery, followed by an army birthday festival on the National Mall in DC. The festival will include equipment displays and military demonstrations. The day will conclude with a military parade throughout the city, overseen by Trump. After the parade, the US Army Golden Knights team will parachute in and present the president with a flag. How much will it cost? All the celebrations will cost the US Army between $25 million (£18.51m) and $45 million (£33.33m), officials told Reuters. These estimates include costs that will be born by the city of Washington, include litter clean up. The event will involve 18 miles of fencing and 175 metal detectors being installed in the capital. The military has also begun taking steps to protect the streets from damage caused by heavy tanks, including laying down metal plates in some areas. The Army said it will pay for any unexpected repairs if needed and has set aside several million dollars in case of damage. Why is it controversial? President Trump's critics have called the parade an authoritarian display of power, that is particularly wasteful as his administration seeks to slash federal spending. The cost of the Army's celebration is several million dollars more than it would have been without a parade, officials said. Among the critics is California Governor Gavin Newsom, who has been trading barbs with Trump since the outbreak of riots in LA. "And we all know, this Saturday, he's ordering our American heroes - the United States military - forcing them to put on a vulgar display to celebrate his birthday, just as other failed dictators have done in the past," he said. "This is his ego and making everything about 'him'," Senator Jack Reed, the top democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, has also said. But other officials have pointed out plans for the Army's 250th birthday began before Trump won the presidential election, and it is not officially an event to mark his birthday - the dates just happen to be the same. How will it compare to military parades around the world? One of the criticisms of the parade is that it is a show of military might more often seen in authoritarian countries, such as North Korea, Russia, Iran and China. This is because tanks in the streets are symbolically associated with these regimes, where they are designed to inspire nationalism and fear, whilst also promoting obedience - they often take place under the watchful eye of their country's leader. Russia holds its annual Victory Day parade on 9 May to commemorate the country's Soviet victory over Nazi Germany. In recent years, it has been used to protect military strength during the Ukraine war. China holds a National Day parade on 1 October every ten years, or on key anniversaries, to celebrate the founding of the People's Republic in 1949. In Iran, an Army Day Parade takes place in April, a month after the country's Revolution Day celebrations. North Korea holds parades on key dates like Kim Il-sung's birthday, or the ruling party's foundation day. Taking place in the country's capital of Pyongyang, the display will often feature new weapons, closely watched by leader Kim Jong-un. But not every country that holds a military parade is necessarily authoritarian. The UK holds its annual Trooping of the Colour every summer to celebrate the birthday of the British Monarch.
Reuters
34 minutes ago
- Reuters
Adam 'Pacman' Jones pleads not guilty in officer assault case
June 12 - Former NFL defensive back Adam "Pacman" Jones pleaded not guilty to multiple charges on Wednesday following his weekend arrest, according to multiple reports. Accused of assaulting a police officer, disorderly conduct and alcohol intoxication in a public place, Jones was arrested in Kentucky on Saturday morning. Jones' lawyer addressed the charges Wednesday, accusing the police and media of embellishing the facts of the case. "The recent arrest of Adam 'Pacman' Jones in Covington, Kentucky, is yet another example of overzealous policing and the systemic issues that plague our justice system," attorney Pete Schaefer said. "Adam did nothing wrong other than exercise his right to ask why he was being detained. ... Initially, officers claimed he was being arrested for assault and then shifted to public intoxication, which, in itself, is not a crime in many jurisdictions unless it leads to dangerous behavior, and finally settled on disorderly conduct -- simply for asking why he was being detained. "This pattern of escalating and inconsistent charges is a clear abuse of authority and demonstrates a troubling trend of police officers prioritizing their own discretion over constitutional rights.'' Schaefer also suggested his client has received unfair treatment since his detention. "Adam, like every American, is innocent until proven guilty. Yet, once again, his past is being weaponized against him in the court of public opinion, while the officers involved face no scrutiny for their conduct. ... Adam deserves fairness, not another headline designed to paint him as a villain for clicks.'' Arrested several times since his playing days, Jones, 41, was most recently arrested for alleged public intoxication, assault of a police officer and evading arrest following the Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul fight at AT&T Stadium on Nov. 15, 2024. Jones played 146 career games over 12 seasons with the Tennessee Titans (2005-06), Dallas Cowboys (2008), Cincinnati Bengals (2010-17) and Denver Broncos (2018). He was a First-Team All-Pro in 2014, a Pro Bowl selection in 2015 and a member of the NFL All-Rookie Team in 2005. The punt return specialist retired from the NFL in 2019. --Field Level Media
