Tensions rise in New York's prisons as correction officers strike despite a court order. The state has begun issuing legal summons, threatening to penalize participating workers. Families of officers are vocal in their plight, underscoring the dire conditions inside prisons. National Guard deployment heightens the crisis, with reports of inmate fatalities and serious understaffing. Ongoing negotiations between the union and corrections officials have yet to deliver solutions, with union leadership criticized for unresponsiveness to officers' needs, raising questions about the strike's resolution.
Rebecca, the wife of an Albany-area correction officer, said alongside state Senate Republicans at a press conference in the Capitol Monday, "We're not working for threats, we're looking for help."
The corrections department is also threatening to cancel health care coverage and dock pay for officers on strike. Meanwhile, thousands of National Guard members have been deployed to the prisons.
A spokesperson said the talks remain "ongoing," but it's unclear whether a deal brokered between the correction officers' union and Gov. Kathy Hochul's administration would even end the strike.
Another wife of a correction officer, Brigett, called the union out of touch, highlighting the discord between union leadership and the needs of correction officers amidst the crisis.
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