"The executive budget allocates $535 million for the National Guard. That represents over 4,000 COs, if you converted that to CO salary and fringe. He said Guard personnel are untrained and unqualified to do the work of corrections officers."
"I've repeatedly heard from [corrections department] staff and incarcerated individuals that the National Guard generally are not playing a helpful role in prison operations. There must be a better solution to staffing levels."
"State Corrections Commissioner Daniel Martuscello acknowledged during a recent budget hearing that his department still has 4,600 unfilled corrections officer positions, despite special recruiting campaigns and less stringent hiring requirements."
New York's corrections department continues to face severe staffing shortages one year after an illegal strike by thousands of officers. Despite special recruiting campaigns and relaxed hiring standards, the state still has 4,600 vacant corrections officer positions. This persistent shortage necessitates keeping approximately 3,000 National Guard troops stationed in prisons statewide, costing taxpayers over $1 billion. State lawmakers express concern about both the financial burden and operational effectiveness, with some questioning whether National Guard personnel are adequately trained for corrections work. The corrections commissioner argues that Guard assistance enables prison programs and improves work-life balance for staff, while legislators and corrections officials contend that recruiting more qualified officers represents the only viable long-term solution.
#prison-staffing-crisis #national-guard-deployment #corrections-officer-shortage #budget-concerns #new-york-corrections-system
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