'Enough is enough': NY prison assaults reach record levels in 2024
For the third year in a row, the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision has reported record-breaking numbers of assaults on incarcerated individuals and staff in New York prisons.
As of Nov. 1, DOCCS said there have been 2,450 assaults on incarcerated individuals and 1,760 assaults on staff this year. The previous records, set in 2023, were 2,107 assaults on incarcerated individuals and 1,671 on staff.
Most of the assaults on staff occurred in maximum-security prisons, such as Auburn Correctional Facility. But there were 646 assaults on staff in medium-security prisons, which is approaching the record of 693 in 2023.
In the third quarter, most assaults on staff did not result in injuries. However, there were 41 moderate injuries, such as concussions, cuts and sprains, and 22 serious injuries that required treatment at a hospital.
The New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association, a union representing correction officers, urged Gov. Kathy Hochul and the state Legislature to address prison violence.
"Enough is enough — our members cannot and should not be used as punching bags," NYSCOPBA President Chris Summers said. "NYSCOPBA members, working in the most challenging of conditions, are being assaulted at record rates, yet their health and safety continue to be disregarded by those responsible for protecting the state workforce."
NYSCOPBA has highlighted numerous incidents this year, including assaults at Auburn Correctional Facility targeting female correction officers. In March, eight officers were injured in separate incidents at the prison.
DOCCS provided a statement to The Citizen noting that Daniel Martuscello III, the department's commissioner, "has been outspoken about his concern with the violence in DOCCS correctional facilities." Martuscello has a prison violence task force that focuses on strategies to decrease assaults on incarcerated individuals and staff.
Hochul has supported various initiatives to address violence, including the addition of body scanners in prisons, bolstering the K9 program and the introduction of a violence prevention pilot program in two correctional facilities.
DOCCS does work with district attorneys to prosecute incarcerated individuals who assault other inmates or staff. This has been a priority for Cayuga County District Attorney Brittany Grome Antonacci , whose office has prosecuted several cases against incarcerated individuals accused of assaulting staff.
The problems with prison violence are exacerbated by the staffing woes. Over the last four years, the numbers of correction officers, sergeants and lieutenants has decreased while the prison population increased.
According to DOCCS, there were 33,516 incarcerated individuals in state prisons on Nov. 1. The total number of correction officers, sergeants and lieutenants was 14,276, the lowest level in at least two decades.
DOCCS said it is taking action to address the staffing shortages with the creation of a recruiting unit and increased starting salaries for correction officer trainees. The department is also working with a marketing firm to boost recruitment efforts on social media.
But NYSCOPBA believes the state needs to do more to make these positions more appealing to candidates.
"We have repeatedly presented the reality of the unsafe work environment facing our members, exacerbated by a weakened disciplinary system, staffing shortages and mandatory overtime that have pushed staff to the brink," Summers said. "State policies have directly contributed to this current state and need to be addressed immediately."
Government reporter Robert Harding can be reached at (315) 282-2220 or . Love Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.
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