In a direct appeal to Gov. Kathy Hochul, members of the Assembly Minority Conference are calling for the immediate repeal of the Humane Alternatives to Long-Term Solitary Confinement Act, citing what they describe as a worsening crisis in New York’s correctional facilities.
In a letter to the governor, Republican lawmakers urged her to use the 30-day budget amendment process to roll back the controversial legislation. Instead, they criticized her decision to propose the closure of up to five additional prisons in fiscal year 2026.
“Whatever the motivation behind the decision to include more closures, it simply validates the belief that correctional staff and their families have been ignored, mistreated, and put directly in harm’s way,” the letter stated.
Since 2009, New York has closed more than 30 correctional facilities, a trend Republicans argue has led to overcrowding and increased safety risks for both inmates and staff. According to the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, the implementation of the HALT Act in March 2022 has been followed by a 169% increase in inmate-on-inmate assaults, a 76% rise in inmate-on-staff assaults, and a 32% jump in contraband cases.
Instead of addressing the root causes of these issues, the lawmakers argue, Hochul has turned to short-term fixes, such as deploying 3,500 members of the National Guard to bolster security in prisons. They contend that this approach does little to solve what they view as a systemic crisis.
With mounting concerns over prison safety and staffing shortages, the Assembly Minority Conference insists that repealing the HALT Act and halting further prison closures are necessary steps to restore order and protect those working inside the state’s correctional system.
Assembly Minority Leader Barclay calls for repeal of HALT Act amid prison crisis
New York’s prison system is at a breaking point, and immediate action is needed to prevent further deterioration, according to Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay. In a statement this week, Barclay urged Gov. Kathy Hochul to take decisive steps to address staffing shortages, worsening safety conditions, and the consequences of controversial criminal justice policies.
Barclay criticized the implementation of the Humane Alternatives to Long-Term Solitary Confinement (HALT) Act, citing Department of Corrections and Community Supervision statistics that show a 169% increase in inmate-on-inmate assaults, a 76% rise in staff assaults, and a 32% uptick in contraband incidents since the policy took effect in 2022.
“The data doesn’t lie: this policy has been an unmitigated failure,” Barclay said. “The most egregious catalyst to the prison crisis, the HALT Act, should be the first thing to go.”
In recent weeks, correctional officers have staged protests across the state, calling attention to mandatory overtime, unsafe working conditions, and a shrinking workforce due to repeated prison closures. Barclay, who visited Auburn Correctional Facility to meet with officers, warned that Hochul’s recent decision to authorize the closure of up to five more prisons in 2025 would only worsen the crisis.
He also expressed concerns over the deployment of the National Guard to assist with prison security, emphasizing that while their service is invaluable, they are not specifically trained for law enforcement and detention operations.
Barclay had urged Hochul to include a HALT Act repeal in her 30-day budget amendments, but instead, she chose to move forward with additional prison closures. He called this decision “exactly the wrong approach” and a “dangerous” step that puts correctional staff at greater risk.
“The policies and practices forced upon the prison system put lives in danger and brought New York to the disastrous situation we’re currently in,” Barclay said. “Doubling down on the status quo is the last thing New York’s correctional officers need.”
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