New York’s corrections officers union is urging state lawmakers to end double bunking in prisons after an inmate received a life-without-parole sentence for killing his cellmate at Upstate Correctional Facility.
The New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association called for the change during the upcoming legislative session in an Oct. 20 news release.
Andrew Hernandez, 43, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in Franklin County Court and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, according to the union.
Hernandez strangled his 51-year-old cellmate with a shoelace during an altercation in April, the union said.
“Accountability is essential when a life is taken, and we appreciate the work being done to pursue justice in this case,” NYSCOPBA President Chris Summers said.
Northern Region Vice President Dana Grammo said the arrangement creates additional risks for correctional officers who are already dealing with staffing shortages and other operational challenges.
“However, prosecution after a tragedy does not address the underlying conditions that can contribute to violence inside our prisons,” Grammo said.
At the time of the killing, Hernandez was serving a sentence of 19 years to life for fatally shooting his mother in Guilderland in 2001, according to the release.
He was an 18-year-old high school senior when he shot her in the back of the head, went to a movie at a local mall and then turned himself in to police, the union said.
Hernandez had been scheduled for a parole hearing in December when he killed his cellmate, according to the release.
The union is asking lawmakers to make the end of double bunking a priority in the upcoming session and provide the capacity, housing policies and resources needed to put that change into effect.
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