New York is easing up on its legal pursuit of correction officers who joined an unauthorized prison strike earlier this year, according to attorney Ralph Lorigo.
Initially, the state sought jail time and financial penalties for 331 officers accused of violating labor laws. Now, only 65 remain named in the lawsuit, with no fines or incarceration being pursued. Lorigo, representing most of the officers, says the state still wants contempt rulings—something he argues could harm wrongful termination cases. He’s now preparing a class-action suit on behalf of hundreds more.
The state is also being sued over a hiring ban on former strikers. Some counties claim this move worsens ongoing staffing shortages in jails and violates local governance rights.
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