The Peru Gazette

Plattsburgh, N.Y., July 9, 2026 – The June 29, 2026 report concerning the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision confirms what correction officers, civilian staff, families, and communities across the North Country have known for years: our correctional system is under tremendous strain. While I appreciate the report’s publication, I was disappointed to see that it revealed few new insights into the state of corrections and failed to address staff concerns about the HALT Act, which was a specific cause of last year’s strike.

Click here to view a Spectrum News story on the report.    

Click here to view the complete report. 

Morale is at an all-time low. Recruitment remains sluggish, retention continues to hemorrhage experienced professionals, and too many of the men and women who report to work each day do so without confidence that their safety is being adequately protected.

As a freshman Assemblymember who entered office after this study was already underway, I was not part of the decisions that brought us to this point. However, I remain unflinching in my commitment to help shape where we go from here.

Every state employee deserves a safe workplace. That includes the correction officers and civilian professionals who work behind the walls of our correctional facilities and dedicate their careers to maintaining order, safety, and rehabilitation under extraordinarily difficult circumstances. Our facilities must operate with policies, practices, staffing levels, and resources that protect the lives and safety of everyone behind the walls.

Our correctional facilities absolutely need reform. However, reforms cannot be implemented at the cost of safe working conditions. New York State cannot continue treating the safety of our correctional facilities with any less urgency than we would the safety of our schools, state offices, or other public institutions. The men and women who serve in these facilities deserve the same commitment to workplace safety as every other public servant.

We must also confront the growing presence of illicit substances inside our correctional facilities. These dangerous drugs threaten the safety and health of correction officers, civilian staff, and incarcerated individuals alike, while creating secondary consequences for local emergency medical systems already operating under significant strain. Keeping illicit substances out of our facilities must be a central component of any serious reform effort.

Staffing shortages further compound these challenges. Chronic vacancies have created environments that are not only unsafe, but increasingly inhumane for both staff and incarcerated individuals. Many correction officers report being unable to take adequate time off, missing important family events, and working excessive overtime simply to maintain minimum staffing levels. Additionally, the lack of support for officer well-being and the dismissal of officers’ concerns about safety and mental health contributes to feelings of disenfranchisement and helplessness. This cycle fuels burnout, damages morale, accelerates retirements and resignations, and makes recruitment even more difficult.

I call on the Governor and Commissioner to implement solutions to address the short-term issues of morale, accountability, and safety while continuing to explore solutions to long-term problems within the State Correctional System.

Corrections rests on two fundamental principles: accountability and safety. The overwhelming majority of correction officers and staff report to work every day committed to both. As policymakers, we have a responsibility to ensure they have the tools, protections, and support necessary to uphold those principles and safely return home to their families at the end of every shift.