NYSCOPBA: Prison System ‘At A Breaking Point’

The union that represents correction officers says that state prisons are understaffed, a level that follows another round of inmate dormitory consolidations that was completed last week by the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision.

In a report/fact sheet released today, the union says DOCCS own staffing formula shows there are 727 fewer officers considered necessary to safely guard state prisons. The union, NYSCOPBA, says the data shows New York’s system is “clearly at a breaking point.”

The prison system also has 238 fewer guards than approved by the state Division of Budget.

Overall, there are 17,478 correction officers working in the prison system, overseeing an inmate population of 55,791, the union says.

“Everyday when they go to work, NYSCOPBA members put their lives on the line on behalf of the people of New York,” said union President Donn Rowe. “The state should support those brave men and women by fully staffing our prisons. NYSCOPBA has repeatedly called for an independent review of our prison system. The state should embrace the opportunity to get all the facts out – publicly and transparently – about how our system is run.”

Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s administration has sought to reduce the number of half-filled prisons, closing and consolidating several across the state in the last year and a half in order to save money.

Fact Sheet

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This entry was posted by Nick Reisman on July 23, 2012 at 1:37 pm, and is filed under Albany. Follow any responses to this post through RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

Thor13607

ARE YOU KIDDING.I KNOW PEOPLE WHO ARE GUARDS THAT TAKE THE SUMMER MONTHS OFF.THEY DO THIS BY WORKING DOUBLE SHIFTS,YOU TALK ABOUT UNSAFE.HOW CAN A PERSON BE ALERT WORKING A 16 HOUR SHIFT,THEN YOU ADD ON THE BRIEFING TIME AND COMMUTE TIME AND THESE GUARDS ARE UP FOR AS MUCH AS 17-18 HOURS BY THE TIME OF SHIFTS END.THE STATE REALLY NEEDS TO CUT BACK ON SOME OF THE POLICIES THAT THE CORRECTIONS OFFICERS UNION HAVE.THIS UNION IS A JOKE,IT DOES’NT TAKE A ROCKET SCIENTIST TO BE A CORRECTIONS OFFICER,BUT THEY ARE PAID AS THOUGH THEY HAVE FOUR YEAR DEGREES.SO TO THE NYSDOC STOP TRYING TO MAKE THE PEOPLE OF N.Y STATE FEEL SORRY FOR YOU BY SAYING THAT YOU WORK UNDER UNSAFE CONDITIONS,YOU MAKE THEM UNSAFE FOR YOURSELVES.LOOK AT TODAYS SOCIETY,A PERSON OUT ON THE STREETS HAS A BETTER CHANCE TO GET THE SHIT KICKED OUT OF THEM,SHANKED OR SHOT THEN A PRISION GUARD DOES WHILE WORKING.
Bmt77

Your an idiot!
JLCUtica

My husband is a CO that works his tail off, and I’m sorry that you feel that way, but until you walk a mile in a CO’s shoes, don’t judge. He works with dangerous convicted felons almost EVERY single day, in hot, sweltering conditions, and his life is at risk. Feces, urine, vomit can be thrown at the CO’s and they don’t know if the inmates are infected with HIV or Hepatitis. Worse yet, all he has to protect himself with is a baton. Because of consolidations, even though he is in a medium security, there are a lot of maximum security prisoners in his prison who are free to stroll around without a care in the world who wouldn’t think twice if they hurt a CO or not. He is worth every single penny he is paid and then some. Just because a few lazy CO’s give NYSDOC a bad rap doesn’t mean you should judge all of them that way. There are dirty cops here and there, but we don’t judge them. Yes, there are CO’s who work extra shifts to get much-needed time off, but there are also nurses and doctors who do the same and they are the people we trust to save lives and deliver babies. There are also CO’s who work MANDATED double shifts to cover gaps in schedules because there aren’t enough officers working, which is exactly the point of this article. Perhaps you should go visit a local prison and take a tour. It’s not a freaking tea party.
Gbearup

Is that Thor,or sore,as in not taking the corrections test yourself?
As a 25 year, currently retired veteran of corrections, I realize you have no idea what you’re talking about.

Yes,most of my career I worked 16 hour shifts. This I considered no different than other occupations in my past.

Working as a carman in the railroad industry,16 hours would be considered a joke. In the case of a derailment,you went home when the tracks were clear.

The only difference was the type of threat experienced before going home. Getting crushed by a rail car due to forced overtime,or getting injured in a prison confrontation. The difference was having some control of a situation due to continuity of shift work.

What I found was working a double shift in corrections,I was better able to assist and inform the next shift of officers. This continuity of shift work assisted both inmates,supervisors,and officers alike.

Thor,if your as tough as your name suggests,step up to the plate and join the ranks.Maybe a stint in Attica,if you haven’t already done one,would be an experience that would change your mind.
Yankjet

I agree with JLCUtica, My son is a CO an I worry about him all the time. If you don’t work there than shut your mouth.
Gore Chapman

Correction; this is America, people are free to speak without prerequisites!

This is America, the land that was intended to be free, the land of the free.

Yet how can that be said with the worlds largest Prison population? Bar None. The United States of America, Inc. is 5% of the worlds population, yet has the worlds largest prison population with 2.35 MILLION AMERICANS entangled in the Correction Institutions!

A fact for your considering ; The Federal Government has given more tax dollars since 1999 to the Department of Justice than to the Department of Education. For most of this great nations history that was the other way around, and by a substantial margin. Don’t you think if Americans were to reverse this negative trend, we wouldn’t have such a epidemic.

1 out of every 7 Americans is a Felon. Considering this is supposed to be the freest nation on planet earth, that is a negative reflection of what we are as a Nation.

Its time to go back to the drawing boards! Tax payers are getting nothing to just hire a bunch of babysitters that spoon feed. This is not a police country, as the constitution insists.

The Department of Corrections sits in a bad position. It gets to deal with the results of bad legislation and laws. All at the expense of taxpayers.

I say this as a Veteran of the Department of Corrections myself, and as a Independent Lecturer. I have over 5 years Education with a Masters in Political Science. I have held positions in the Finance Industry, The Criminal Justice Industry, and The Educational Industry. I am self employed and I make my living( and have for the last 10 years) helping us have a better tomorrow based of focused reflections of yesterdays solutions.

Trust me, More CO’s, and More prisons is no way to the future!
Anonymous

Your very misinformed and you have a brainwashed theme to your whole post.

Apparently nobody has informed you that working in any Prison, for the last 20 years is actually relatively safe.

Your actually more likely to be killed in a car wreck on your way to work as a CO then you are to be killed at work, or even injured for that matter. Yes, its a dangerous job, but no where near as dangerous as you have been mislead.

Of course, don’t believe me, think for yourself. These are all things one can easily google.

More Importantly, I think the post by Gore is painfully truthful, and you could serve to learn a thing or two from a post like that.

Is this what you want for your children? To grow up to work in a Prison somewhere? There is whole towns both in NY and Missouri that the majority of the residents work for a Prison. That’s sad as heck. And certainly no way to a better tomorrow for our children!

Just my .02cents.
JLCUtica

Brainwashed? Hmm. That reconstructive surgery that my husband had on his wrist and the 6 months that he was out of work after being attacked by an inmate must have been a figment of my imagination. Silly me. Again, until you walk a mile, don’t judge.
Guest

Again, your pushing the issues of your own personal life to formulate every issue. Its not that dangerous of a job. Numbers don’t lie, and the statistics are, that its relatively safe job. I am sorry to hear that your husband, but its one incident. I have fallen 100 ft from a wind tower as that is my profession. In the short 10 year history that these have been constructed, we actually have a higher death rate than Correctional Officers.

This is also something you can google. I am a technician for a Power Company. We have had 34 deaths in 10 years. Not one prison in NY can say that, but they always get the sympathy card, please.

You don’t have to walk a mile in someones shoes to get a perception of reality. More importantly nobody is judging anybody, its an observation, which is different than a judgement if you can figure that out!

Lastly, and this is something again you can easily goodly for yourself, if being a CO is as dangerous as most of them cry it is, then why do more people die from Murder each year than from Prison Incidents. AS of 2012 corrections officers averaged 9 deaths per year! NINE…Not 99, or 1,999 but NINE DEATHS PER YEAR, COUNTRY WIDE. SO STOP YOUR CRYING!!!! Nobody is giving you sympathy with that attitude!!!

FireFighting is FAR MORE DANGEROUS, BUT YOU DON”T HEAR THEM CRYING FOR SYMPATHY! 260 FIRE FIGHTERS DIE A YEAR IN THIS COUNTRY, COMPARED TO YOUR BLATTING ASS CO!

SO if you want to take the ignorant position of ” don’t talk to you have walked in their shoes”, well the same can be said to your sorry as argument, because there are far more dangerous jobs than being a over paid babysitter!
CB21

With all due respect, your post do have a theme of brainwashed sympathy. The fact of the matter is that being a CO is a really safe job in America. Look at the statistics, your far greater to die as a Air Pilot, or a Bank Teller. So please, stop your whinning. Nobody is forcing anyone to do that job, and if you can’t handle it, or get your shit pushed in, its probably deserved. Perhaps you should teach him how to treat others that way he don’t have to send his wifey out for sympathy over a wrist injury.

To be technical, More crab fisherman died from 2010-2011 than Corrections officers throughout the entire USA. So, really, don’t judge other professions if you have such a bias view. Close mindedness will only let u see what you want to see, and thats obviously the theme to your argument.
Wake Up Stupid!

Its really lame that you tell others to not comment on the subject until they walk the plank. That is about as ignorant a position as one can get.

One could suppose that with that position, no one would know how to give sympathy without first walking in those kind of shoes.

Like saying an American has no right to his words on a issue until he has went through the issue himself…..right.

You don’t have to walk a mile in the shoes of a hermit, to know what a hermit it okay Life don’t work that way, unless you have something to protect, which by the sounds of it you do, and its probably a job!
Fletch

You are a Joke. Not even going to attempt to explain how you make me feel by what you just said. Walk in our shoes for even four hours and i bet you would have a change of heart. You really shouldn’t comment on something that you know nothing about!
Guest

Like wise, Your a joke. If you had a proper education, you would know that you don’t have to walk in the shoes of another to understand the complexities. Its simple educational matter. Its like saying we shouldn’t talk about gravity on Mars because we have yet to be there to know.

Education is a tool that enables people to gain perspective into critical issues. But you don’t seem to understand that. Education is the key to understanding.

In case you have not read other post, these people have a respected view, backed by a proper education. Which you seem to lack, along with the simple understanding that you don’t have to walk in someone’s else’s shoes to gain their perspective.

Another fact for you gung ho on walking in the shoes of another. Considering that 2% of NY Correctional Officers have a University degree, I think its safe to understand why the perspective of a CO is so shrouded with social ill logic. It also shows why they have such a fundamental stances that is only backed by ignorance and baseless claims.

Perhaps if you backed your claim with some scientific evidence as to why you have such a perspective, we could continue to help you learn. But until then, your going to be stuck in your same old stinkin-thinkin!
CO’S WIFE

You are one IGNORANT IDIOT Thor13607! WTF do you do for a living? My husband is a CO for 29 yrs. He puts his life on the line everyday taking care scumbags that society deems not fit! Like MURDERS, RAPIST, DRUG DEALERS and so on! Apparently you or someone close to you have not been affected by a crime! Maybe if you have you might not think that what my husband and many other CO’S take care of on a daily is so easy! It don’t take a ROCKET SCIENTIST to figure out what a LOSER you are!
Prferendzo

I work in a place where assaults leading to staff injuries occur almost weekly! Proper staffing of experienced, competent personnel would Significantly reduce the number of these events. The low rate of incidences in corrections is directly related to competent staffing. Some here have stated that they need not experience a prison enviroment to know what it is like, i applaud them. Not everyone can enter a new field of employment and know more or as much as those that have been doing it for years. By the way…I work in an ER.
CO’S WIFE

WOW! You have a very high OPINION of yourself GUEST!!!! If your are as EDUCATED as you say then i am one scared person right now! I would dare say you are about as DUMB as they come! Someone can be EDUCATED with a degree but, when it comes to common sense and thinking before speaking on something you know nothing about! WIND TOWER CLIMBER! That really compares to what my husband does nice try! How EDUCATED does a wind tower climber need to be keep climbing to the top oh yah that takes alot of EDUCATION! Apparently you weren’t EDUCATED enough you feel! Better go get better EDUCATION on how not to fall from such a meaningless job! Fact there are more people that would perfer to have never seen a WIND TOWER in there towns!
Guest

You’r shot lady. Please get some help. What’s it take to be a CO’s wife??? Cause your giving a bad name to the game.

People just don’t climb towers for fun, they are engineers…yes SCIENTIST….unlike a hired babysitter to take care of all these scum bags…Right..

I don’t think Universities produce dumb people, statistically, they produce very productive citizens that earn way more than those that are uneducated…go figure!

Wind Towers account for 85% of Power in NY, so what were you saying about meaningless??? Right. See you actual don’t know anything about wind power, so its probabilistically a good thing for you to not make your self look,…dumber.

I also think you forgot the fact that I openly stated, I WAS A CORRECTIONAL OFFICER FOR 9 YEARS…I HAVE WALKED THE SHOES LADY!!!

So my answers, are not only based on my education, but on my exp of being a CO!~

I assure you, there is a reason why they only have 2% of officers having a University degree, because nobody wants that bullshit job.

More so, have some human dignity, after all, you are a human yourself. People are not born scumbags, and your generalization of those in prison is about as far from right as it gets.

There is big big $$$$ in Criminalizing people. And in case you didn’t read anything else on this thread, 1 out of 7 Americans are felons, because of the privitization of Prisons…so wake up Sheeply Lady, you could be the next to be turned into a scumbag with a number!!!1

By the sounds of it, if this is your hubby’s perspective, he is a piss poor human, and even a poorer CO! I CAN SAY THAT AS I HAVE PUT MY TIME IN AS A CO!!!!! Thats not how you treat a HUMAN, nor is it how you are TAUGHT TO DO YOU JOB….

So, you wonder why he got his ass beat…its cause he can’t pull his head out his ass long enough to figure out how to treat humans as humans and not humans as subhumans!

Your Welcome
P.A.M.

To all the CO’s wives, spouses, retirees or current supporters that have been posting their comments and are trying to have a battle of intelligence with those who are less equipped, ignorant, misinformed, uneducated morons, it truly is not worth it. They are the type that feel they know everything but actually know nothiing. They will argue the color of the sky just to hear themselves speak. They can’t and never will understand the working conditions of a Correctional Officer or of the many Civilans that also are employed in the correctional facilities and who also face these dangers as well. For example; doctors, nurses, mental health counselors, teachers Priest/Reverends/Rabi/Clergy Which by the way all carry a degree and or other various degrees. I am pretty sure majority of them have more intelligence both in common sense and in an educational forum then all of the disgruntled commenters that are posting. I am a wife of a Correctional Officer, (And damn PROUD OF IT.) who is trained for all conditions and is highly educated. He was amongst the many that were deployed during the 9/11 attacks to patrol, guard and protect our water ways and assit with emergencies as needed. He also volunteers for charitable events as well as coaching when our child was younger. In my eyes and really don’t care if you agree or not he is a better man then any of you, they all are better men and women, Officer or Civilan people than any of you. Also for your information many of these Officers are also volunteer firemen/women; EMS/Paramedics, p
and volunteers for various communities. I also have a degree in paralegal studies. So I am alos educated, do you want to compare degrees. I worry daily for his safety and will continue to do so until the day he retires. It is a thankless job, a job not many can do but apparently can preach as if they been there. Such Jokers…..
IronMike

Does anyone on earth know how to spell “you’re” correctly?
Thor13607

“So I am alos educated”…nope believe you…no really I do!

So you believe that the right way to the future is with more Prisons and More Co’s……Right, just what our children need.

I am sure your husband is a good person, but your ideas of a better tomorrow are very sinister.

The overwhelming majority of Americans are against more Prison and are against more CO’s. Taxpayers don’t want to foot the bill for more and more prisons and Co’s. For the love of the US, we already have the WORLDS highest prison population. I am not sure what you don’t get about that. We are 5% of the worlds population but have the most people in prison, in the WORLD.

This is the land of the free. Like it or Not. This is not, nor will not, be a Prison state!!

Our Prisons are a very negative reflection of what this country is about. The Land of the Free, not The Land of Prison which is what we are now. Is that really something to be proud of???

The Nazi’s were proud of there Prisons also, just saying!
Thor13607

Classy Comment Co’s Wife…. Really Classy! I would be proud.
Timothy Rafferty

So why did you quit being a Co and go be a pole climber?

You have some good points, but I think you should word them better. Not the way to convey a message.

I am a Correction Officer in Auburn. I have been through it all in my times behind the walls. It can be as rough as a job as any, and especially rough if your arrogant or frankly, uneducated.

I have spent years trying to find meaning in this profession and it is extremely difficult, and I look forward to retiring and changing professions. I don’t regret it, but its not a job I recommend to most. Life has many better things to offer in my opinion. But that does not go without saying someone has to do the job.

I also agree that its no way to a better tomorrow to be building more prisons and its a tragedy that in America, we have the largest Prison Population. Thats contradicting to what America is and stands for, but its also not the topic of this article

TR
Guest

Correction : Thats Wind Tower Technican and it takes a 4 year degree in Mechanical Engineering or something related.

They don’t just climb the tower for any reason. Obviously they are there to do a job, and its not to just climb to the top like your shortmindedness likes to imply.

Wind Power is the way to a better (greener) future and a healthier future for your children. But I guess you don’t care about that you just care about what your view from your porch looks like.

Wind Tower Energy cost to Taxpayers = $8,500 per tower….thats really cheap compared to Oil, Coal, etc. Its the cheapest form of energy production on earth, and it has a 0 carbon foot print. Unlike the behemoths power plants that power Prison across the states at the rate of Millions of taxpayers dollars a year.

Its already in the works. By 2030 NY prison will all be ran by Wind Power. So I suppose the inmates can join you then on your view complaints all the while making a better future for everyone!
guest

Wow,congrats so another know it all, just to let you know that is his choice on what he is doing NO ONE is forceing him to do it. It doesn’t happen to be the military, it’s a job.We all can choose what we want to do,and the big money and benifits are also great,and haveing athority over others can be a big kicker. That goes to some peoples heads. AND being a paralegal is nice. Be nice to see our whole justice system be more honest and do the correct way it was started out instead of so much politically involved and crocked judges.As far as I’m concerned the whole system we live in now is corrupt
annoyed

Because everything you Google is true!?
guest01

Let me guess you are a liberal, Thats the problem is liberals like yourself keep giving these scumbags everything. I guess getting sued for something as little as not getting bread in there feed-up when they’re fellow scumbags forgot to put it in, then have the inmate spit or throw on you, your the type of person that gives them a settlement, then complain about tax dollars
JLCUtica

Well said!
Be Happy

Whats “!?” ? Are you questioning your own statement/ exclamation point?

Good Going slick.

What are you annoyed about?

It would help if you had something more complete to say, rather than making half a statement and then feking up your very own punctuation.

Googleplex; those who look to discredit someone based on a resource-citation that was searched and found by google search engines.

In case your wondering, google has nothing to do with the facts, other than they were a tool to find the resources that were cited. Luck would have it, its also a very useful tool that almost anyone can use. Perhaps even caveman can?

Google is a internet search engine.

Those facts are published by the US Government, so you may have a point there in regards to factual nature, but you need to point in the right direction

Lastly,
I would think the one think the US Government is good at, is keeping statistics ( which is a discipline of mathematics), on those who die on the job. Especially considering how deep Insurance companies play a role in this Country.

Your too easy.
Prison Planet

Again, people are people. What you call people is on you, but it says a hell of a lot about you, and your level of intelligence.

Your going to hate to hear this, but I am registered with the Conservative Party of the USA. You shouldn’t draw assumptions about people you really don’t know. It says something about you, and its not anything positive.

Again, what you deduce is on you, but when your blind, your blind.

Typically in life, when someone gets spit on in life, logic would reason its for a purpose/reason, and if its not, there is a obvious mental issue.

This is America, The Land of the Free. Not the land of the worlds largest Prison population ( which is what it is now) for the financial benefit of selected individuals. Prisons are for profit, not about punishment, but about making a $$$ Criminalization of people is in full effect! And YOU could be next!

I refuse as a defender of the US Constitution to see this country be this type of opposite society than what the US Constitution, which is certainly not a Prison Country!

Don’t Like it , Canada is still accepting Americans!

prisonplanet (dot) tv
CO’S WIFE

Well put P.A.M.! I myself am a CO’S wife and have made a few post on here to a few ignorant people that do not have a clue as you said. My husband has been in for 29 yrs and like you i worry everyday till he walks in the door. It is good to point out like you said many of the CO’S serve our country and thank you to your husband who so bravely did his duty during one of the worst nightmares ever 911! My husband also coached our children when they were younger and was also employed by the City school as a coach. Oh yah and i am educated and so is my husband. As you i am DAMN PROUD OF MY CO HUSBAND!
CO’S WIFE

Funny you talk alot and i do mean alot of BS! DO you know my husband? don’t think so but, yet again you show how IGNORANT YOU are! Where the hell do you get off saying such stuff as my husband is a piss poor human being and he got his ASS BEAT! I can assure you he has never gotten his ass beat! NEVER! Funny my husband has gotten awards for his outstanding work as a CO! And why is it you are no longer a CO? I can take a couple guesses but, then i would be as much of an ass*&%# as you because i would be stating something i know nothing about! keeping talking idiot you make yourself look like what you are! Shot i don’t think so and what does it take to be a CO’S wife well let me tell you. You have be a very loving and supportive person which i am! O by the way i am educated with my own business. i think you are truly SHOT and NEED some HELP! You should have gotten help after your dumb ass fell apparently you head is a little messed up after that!
CO’S WIFE

Very Proud Thank You! Now you should look @ how CLASSY you statements are! I should say CLASSLESS!
Jim Mueller

Since you are such an expert on corrections I suggest that you take the next C.O. test and spend some time at Attica, Green Haven or Great Meadow. You may change your mind if you had the guts to do the job in a max A environment.
Miley

The state can’t hire enough correction officers because nobody wants the job
Trip22631

As an 18 year Correction Officer I got to say that while we are 17000 strong,,they are 56000 strong, its us against them,,they are there all the time all day long every day, we are only there in 8 hour shifts,,the ratio is about 50 to 1,,,G bearup is an idiot,,while hes working in his nut and bolts I wonder if he has crap being thrown at him while he is fighting for his life like we are.At his pay scale I would welcome 16 hour shifts,,Trip

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