A pair of corrections officers were injured in separate incidents at Elmira and Five Points Correctional Facilities last week.
On December 29th, an officer at Elmira Correctional Facility was punched multiple times in the face by an inmate while conducting routine rounds. The officer was treated at Arnot Ogden Medical Center for right eye swelling and pain. The inmate, who is serving a three year sentence for second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, was transferred to a Special Housing Unit pending disciplinary charges.
On December 30th, an officer at Five Points Correctional Facility witnessed two inmates exchanging punches in a cell block. When orders to stop the fight were ignored, OC spray was used and both inmates were handcuffed and transferred to the infirmary for treatment of lacerations. They were then placed in a Special Housing Unit pending disciplinary charges. One officer sustained knee pain and swelling and was treated at the facility, while a second officer was transported to Geneva Hospital for blood exposure and did not return to duty.
In a statement, Kenny Gold, NYSCOPBA Western Region Vice President, commented on the incidents: “We ended the year like we began, with more staff being injured at the hands of violent inmates. 2022 will go down as the most violent year on record, with inmate on staff and inmate on inmate assaults both eclipsing previous highs. Our elected officials, who just became the highest paid state legislators in the nation, need to start earning their lofty salaries and address the ongoing violence. They can begin by immediately repealing or amending the HALT Act, which single-handedly contributed to the rise in violence. As legislators begin the new session this should be one of their highest priorities. If they cannot accomplish that, then we will have two more years of extreme violence.”
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