As the wildcat strike by correction officers entered its fourth day, state prison officials canceled prisoner visits statewide and there were signs of unrest at several facilities.
Gov. Hochul signed an executive order Wednesday declaring a “disaster emergency” over the illegal strike and formally activating 3,500 members of the New York National Guard, which has already deployed units to several facilities as of Thursday morning.
Meanwhile, indictments in the beating death of inmate Robert Brooks at Marcy Correctional Facility were expected to be unsealed. Up to nine officers could be charged.
Body camera footage shows officers beating inmate Robert Brooks at the Marcy Correctional Facility in upstate Oneida County, N.Y., on Dec. 9. Brooks (inset) died of his injuries the following day. (NY Attorney General)
Word about disturbances at three correctional facilities — Riverview, Bare Hill and Franklin state prisons — was coming out via lawyers and correction sources.
Cassandra Rohme, an attorney, said she had heard from multiple clients that correction officers walked off the job at 7 a.m. Thursday, leaving inmates locked in their units and cells without any access to prison services.
“They have no access to anything, they are completely unsupervised,” Rohme said. “If people are locked in like that, something is going to happen. People will get hurt. I think it’s no coincidence that the officers walked off the job on the day [the] Brooks [case] is being arraigned.”
At Riverview, in St. Lawrence County, according to published reports, correction officers left dorm areas out of a concern for their safety and response teams were called in.
Hochul also sought and obtained a temporary restraining order to stop the strike from state Judge Donna Siwek, which was granted.
“The court determined the actions of the employees who unilaterally decided to strike … [h]as caused irreparable harm to the operations of DOCCS and put the safety of both staff and the incarcerated at risk,” wrote Daniel Martuscello, the state correction commissioner, in a letter to supervisors on Wednesday.
“I believe strongly there is room for disagreement and for dialogue around all concerns of employees.”
The move to bar personal and legal visits during the crisis was criticized by advocates.
“The cancellation of visits and the current humanitarian crisis is an unacceptable violation of basic human rights,” said Thomas Gant, a community organizer at the Center for Community Alternatives.
“This crisis was not caused by incarcerated people. It was manufactured by a group of rogue corrections officers who abandoned their posts in a deliberate attempt to sabotage reforms.”
Spokespeople for Martuscello did not immediately reply to requests for comment.
Hochul said she also brought in Martin Scheinman, an independent mediator, to resolve the dispute.
“National Guard members will support and supplement current correctional staff on site to ensure safety and security with tasks, including distributing meals and medication to incarcerated individuals, and help maintain general order and wellness in the facilities,” Hochul said.
“Additional members are expected to report for duty in the coming hours and days.”