Correction officers say new state data backs up their long-standing claims about prison safety and the HALT Act.
The New York State Correctional Officers & Police Benevolent Association says figures released by the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision show inmate violence and staff use-of-force incidents declined statewide during 2025. The union points to a period when HALT-mandated programming was suspended at many facilities because of chronic understaffing.
According to DOCCS’ January 22 update, inmate-on-staff assaults, inmate-on-inmate assaults, and overall use-of-force incidents all dropped during the year. NYSCOPBA says reduced inmate movement during the suspension limited opportunities for violent encounters and helped stabilize facilities.
Union leaders argue the data confirms warnings they raised when HALT was enacted. They say overcrowded programming, increased inmate interaction, and limits on discipline created unsafe conditions inside state prisons. The union also credits other policy changes, including legal mail scanning, with helping reduce contraband and assaults.
“For years, our members have been forced to work in unsafe conditions created by misguided policies that ignored staffing realities and common sense,” NYSCOPBA President Chris Summers said. “The DOCCS data released today confirms what we have said all along — when HALT programming was suspended and inmate movement was reduced, assaults went down.”
The union cautioned that the improvements could reverse if policies return without changes. Summers urged lawmakers to reconsider the law and base future decisions on safety and staffing levels, not ideology. He said a starting point would be following recommendations from the HALT Committee formed by NYSCOPBA, DOCCS, and other state labor unions.
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