Ortt, Senate Republicans announce proposals to improve working conditions in state prisons

Photo from State Sen. Rob Ortt’s Office: State Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt speaks during a news conference today in the State Capitol Building with many family members of corrections officers who have been on strike seeking to improve working conditions and safety in state prisons.

Press Release, Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt

ALBANY – Today, members of the Senate ​Republican Conference met with family members of New York State correction officers and urged immediate action by Governor Hochul in response to recent prison strikes, calling for an Executive Order to repeal the HALT Act.

Since last week, correction officers have been on strike in dozens of facilities throughout the state. The officers began the strike in response to deteriorating work conditions, including understaffing, mandatory overtime, excessively long shifts, and polices – like the HALT Act – that have made their jobs more difficult and dangerous.

A recent report from DOCCS  shows dramatic increases in the number of assaults within our prisons since the enactment of HALT. From 2002 to 2024, assaults on staff from inmates increased by 1,473 (a 32 percent increase), inmate-on-inmate assaults increased by 1,489 (an 81 percent increase), and overall assaults increased from 2,962 in 2022 to 4,635 (a 56 percent increase).

“The dangerous situation in our prisons is a direct result of bad policies and a lack of leadership from Albany,” said Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt. “We ask our correction officers to do a dangerous job, as a result of bad Democrat policies, the resources Correction Officers need to do their jobs safely have continually been stripped away. I’ve listened to the many families of COs who are suffering the most—not having their loved one home because of grueling long shifts and their safety being threatened every day is heartbreaking.

“I have been proud to stand with our COs and their families for as long as I’ve been in office, and this conference will continue to stand with them until changes are made to keep them safe as they carry out a very difficult job. This crisis will not come to an end without changes in policy from Albany, starting with a repeal of the HALT Act.”

The HALT Act went into effect in New York State in 2022 and has tied the hands of our correction officers to protect themselves, as well as other inmates in their facilities.

The Senate Republican Conference has consistently called on the Democrat Majorities to prioritize the needs of our law enforcement and equip them with tools needed to do their jobs safely and effectively, as well as for the reversal of progressive policies, such as the HALT Act, that have empowered violent inmates, stripped officers of necessary tools to maintain order, and created an untenable crisis in our correctional facilities.

Our Conference will continue to stand in solidarity with New York’s correction officers who have been sounding the alarm on dangerous working conditions in our state’s prisons. Immediate action from the Governor and Democrat Majorities in the Legislature is necessary to restore safe working conditions, reverse these disastrous policies, and support the law enforcement professionals who keep our communities safe.

Senate Republicans pointed to key proposals that could provide an immediate impact toward making correctional facilities safer for workers, visitors and inmates:

• S.2656: Repeals the HALT Act (Stec);
• S.3087: Requires DOCCS to establish a contraband screening plan for correctional facilities, including the use of drug-detecting canines at the entrance of each correctional facility and the development of a third-party secure vendor mail program for packages received by inmates (Helming); and
• S.4422: Requires visitors to submit to body scanners before entering a correctional facility (Stec).

In addition to calling for common sense proposals to increase safety in correctional facilities, Senate Republicans introduced an amendment ​on the Senate floor during today’s session to ​repeal the HALT Act. Every Senate Democrat voted against the amendment.

“As the ranking member of the Crime Victims, Crime and Correction committee, I’m seeing firsthand how the HALT Act has done nothing but make our prisons more dangerous for corrections officers, staff and even incarcerated individuals,” said Senator Rob Rolison. “It is our responsibility to restore safety and order in our correctional facilities, protecting those who work tirelessly to keep everyone safe. Today, alongside the families of brave corrections officers, we are making it clear that Albany must act now to repeal the HALT Act and ensure safe and humane conditions in the state’s correctional system.”