Cayuga County Sheriff Brian Schenck is raising alarm over a newly announced plan from the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) that will allow the early release of certain incarcerated individuals into communities across the state, including Cayuga County.
The initiative, detailed in a March 31 memorandum from DOCCS Commissioner Daniel Martuscello III, is a response to a mounting staffing crisis in New York’s correctional system. The plan allows select inmates to be transferred from prison facilities to Residential Treatment outcount status if they meet specific statutory requirements. These include having a non-shelter or Department of Social Services residence, being within 15 to 110 days of their approved release date, and not serving sentences for certain violent or sexual offenses.
Sheriff Schenck voiced strong concerns about the impact of the plan on public safety and the strain it could place on local parole officers already overextended due to staffing shortages. “How will our local Parole Officers supervise these individuals released early when they are currently providing transports for DOCCS inmates and filling in for corrections staff?” he asked.
The sheriff also questioned whether victims will be notified before early releases and whether any of the individuals have histories of disciplinary issues. “What message of accountability will that send to these offenders and those still incarcerated?” he said.
Currently, Cayuga County is housing 12 inmates sentenced to state time, part of a broader statewide backup of over 1,100 inmates being held in local jails as DOCCS delays intake. The department has postponed accepting new inmates until at least April 21, a date that Schenck fears may be pushed further.
Under the early release plan, approved individuals will be issued ID cards, have their personal property returned, and be directed to report to their parole officers within 24 hours. They will remain under parole supervision until their scheduled release dates, with final caseload assignments determined by the Board of Parole.
Sheriff Schenck is calling for revisions to the HALT Act, a rollback of early release efforts, and a renewed commitment to public safety. “There must be accountability for our criminal justice system to work,” he said. “Stop gambling with public safety in my community and beyond.”
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