Due to a critical shortage of corrections officers, New York state will begin releasing some prisoners ahead of schedule, just weeks after more than 2,000 guards were terminated for participating in a strike over poor working conditions.
Corrections Commissioner Daniel Martuscello issued a directive to prison officials instructing them to compile a list of inmates who were convicted of lesser offenses and are already scheduled to be released in the next 15 to 110 days, so they can be evaluated for early release.
According to the state’s Department of Corrections, individuals found guilty of sex offenses, violent crimes, or serious felonies—such as arson, terrorism, or murder—will not qualify for the early release initiative.
Martuscello explained the reasoning behind the policy, stating it was being implemented “in view of the current staffing crisis, and in order to have the appropriate balance between the safety and well-being of those working and residing” in state prisons.
This development follows a 22-day walkout by correctional officers that severely disrupted the operation of prisons throughout the state. More than 2,000 guards who continued to stay off the job after an agreement between the union and the state was finalized were subsequently dismissed.
Governor Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, responded by issuing an executive order barring any state agency from rehiring the dismissed correctional officers who participated in the strike.
{Matzav.com}