“This tragic incident highlights the dangers posed by the ongoing strike, as staff in over 40 prisons refuse to fulfill their duties,” The Legal Aid Society stated.
Isaiah Waters, an inmate at Woodbourne Correctional Facility, paints a disturbing picture of the conditions inside. He told the press that his cell block has been on lockdown for a week, with only four National Guard officers overseeing a dorm of 57 inmates.
“The tension is building up. I’ve never seen it like this,” Waters said. “There’s no programming, no religious services, you can’t send mail or get visitors. We’re not used to being around each other for this many hours day in and day out.” Waters’ account raises serious questions about the sustainability of the National Guard to provide adequate supervision and maintain a safe environment within the prisons.
On Monday, the striking corrections officers and their supporters gathered near the Coxsackie Correctional Facility in the Hudson Valley, holding signs that read “NYS Failed Us” and “Wildcats.” Ed Ventre, a retired corrections officer, told reporters that the strike was primarily about unsafe working conditions.
