A new report released shows that the number of assaults on staff inside New York State prisons have hit an all time high.
The report was released by the New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association with data for 2022.
By October 31, there were a total of 1,231 assaults. Before this year, the record was 1,177.
Data shows that within the last decade assaults of staff have doubled from 1.5 assaults per day in 2012 to 3.2 assaults per day in 2021.
HALT is the Humane Alternatives for Long Term Solitary Confinement Act. Once it passed the number of inmate on staff assaults reached 4 per day. There was a peak of 5 assaults per day this past August.
The HALT Act reduces staff’s ability to separate inmates and put them in solitary confinement. HALT was put to use on April 1, 2022.
NYSCOPBA is asking lawmakers to repeal the Act after the most recent assault statistics have been released. The data shows how much the inmate on staff assaults have risen since the Act was passed. It also shows the record number was reached for the year before the end of the year has even arrived.
President of NYSCOPBA shared a statement
President Michael Powers of NYSCOPBA shared a statement.
“The single-year record for assaults on staff was set in mid-October with an entire 2 ½ months remaining in the year,” Powers said.
“HALT advocates call NYSCOPBA liars, accuse us of spreading ‘anti-HALT propaganda’ and hand wave away the data by claiming assaults against staff were already rising prior to HALT. While the number of assaults on staff incidents has gradually increased over the past decade, it doesn’t explain why there was a significant spike in violence beginning April 1. Simply put, the rate of assaults on staff is 30% higher during HALT than the months just prior to its implementation. This isn’t propaganda, it’s fact. It’s readily available data that can be found on the State’s website.”
He added that the health and safety of staff are being ignored.
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