13-03-2025
Former Corrections Officer Speaks After Termination From State
MALONE, NY (WVNY/WFFF) – Earlier this week, the state made a final deal with striking corrections officers, leading to thousands going back to work in New York prisons.
Corrections officers said working inside the state's prisons is just too dangerous.
'At Upstate we had several exposures,' said Deven Hooper, a former C.O. (corrections officer) at Upstate Correctional Facility, in Malone, New York. 'There had been several safety situations that had come up before that. We were trying to get people's attention that there was something going on, that we needed help.
During the same period, The Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) Commissioner, Daniel Martuscello, sent out a memo advising that 70% staffing would become the new 100%.
'We had been running our facilities at 70 percent so well that it was going to become our new norm, our 100 percent,' said Hooper.
That is when thousands of corrections officers at 38 of New York's 42 prisons staged an unsanctioned strike.
For 22 days officers, along with family, friends, and supporters stood outside their respective prisons demanding one major change.
'The only thing that we really wanted out of this was safety inside the facilities, for the corrections officers, for the guys that work down back and for the incarcerated individuals.
The state responded by issuing notices.
During one of several online press conferences, Martuscello was joined by the commissioner for Homeland Security and Emergency Services, Jackie Bray.
'Yesterday, we began terminations of corrections officers. Today, we terminated health insurance for officers who have been AWOL,' said Bray.
Hooper is still trying to come to terms with losing his health insurance.
'I have 3 kids at home. I have a wife. I support all of them. To suddenly have my insurance cut off…,' said Hooper. 'We struggle, but we find ways to get around it. If she wants to cut off our insurance, so be it. We're better than that. We knew she was playing a game from the beginning.
During all of this, mediations and negotiations took place. The state put out several officers, but the officers rejected them, saying that the safety issues were not corrected.
'It didn't address the safety situations. As for the HALT Act, it was only a 90 day stop on HALT,' said Hooper. 'It's just a band-aid for the situation.'
The final offer from the state came out last Saturday. It was dependent on 85 percent of officers returning to work on Monday.
Even though only 77 percent returned, leaving at least 2,000 officers behind, it was enough for the state to honor the deal anyway.
'I understand everybody has their own situations. Everybody has their own reasons for going back,' said Hooper. 'But I, personally, couldn't cross the line, not for the deal that came down through the line, not for the lack of safety that came through.'
Those that did not return were sent termination letters from the state.
'Termination letters have been sent to over 2,000 people who have remained on strike,' said Martuscello, at Monday's online press conference.
Hooper, along with the remaining officers on strike at Upstate Correctional Facility, say despite being fired, they're proud to stand up for what they know is right.
'I'll stand here until the very last day,' said Hooper.
Just a few days after the strike ended, Gov. Kathy Hochul signed an executive order banning those officers from working any state-related positions, including police forces.
Considering the dire need for more corrections officers in the state, even before all this, it's still unclear if some sort of reconciliation is likely or even possible.
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