MONTICELLO  — All nine Sullivan County legislators sent a letter to Governor Hochul and New York State Corrections Commissioner (NYSCC) Martuscello seeking their assistance in repealing the Humane Alternatives to Long-Term Solitary Confinement (HALT) Act and reinstituting 100 percent staffing levels in all State prisons. The letter was sent on February 20 amidst an escalating wildcat strike by corrections officers throughout New York State, including the staff at Sullivan County’s Woodbourne Correctional Facility. 

“The HALT Act has created unsafe working conditions for thousands of corrections officers across the State, leading directly to the [strike],” reads the letter. “The conditions in a prison are expectedly harsh for all, but the HALT Act has made conditions untenable…There is a common belief among corrections officers that inmates – particularly violent inmates – have the upper hand. This is a primary reason why officers are literally walking out of their jobs.” The letter criticized existing staffing levels and mandatory excessive hours, which, “create unsafe working conditions, unnecessary hardships and a decrease of quality-of-life for not only the officers but also their families.”

Sullivan County Legislator Matt McPhillips explained the reason for sending the letter: “We’ve been really concerned with recent staffing shortages for local prisons and the safety of corrections officers and inmates.” 

McPhillips said we need more state funding so we can increase wages for officers; “it’s a tough job and there has to be incentive” to attract workers to the position. The other main issue, said McPhillips, was the HALT Act. 

“I’ve spoken with correction officers who want to keep each other and [nonviolent] inmates safe, but they are dealing with dangerous individuals. We’ve heard it repeatedly from people in the field that once HALT was implemented it took away a very useful tool,” he said.

McPhillips was optimistic about the efficacy of the letter, saying “we’ve gotten a lot of positive support from our state representatives on both sides of the aisle. It’s important to join together with other concerned citizens and officials” to exact change. 

“I hope we make prisons safer and improve conditions for staff and prisoners because the current situation is unsustainable and we need real change.”