CANTON, New York (WWNY) – A representative for the state’s unionized prison workers is sounding the alarm over an incoming wave of corrections officer retirements.
Bryan Hluska, Central Region Vice President for the New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association (NYSCOBA), told 7 News the 2000s were a period of heavy hiring for the New York State Department of Corrections.
“You couldn’t run into someone who wasn’t taking the test, took the test, waiting to go to the academy, in the academy, got out of the academy,” Hluska said.
But now, after 25 years on the job, many of those hired back then will soon be eligible for retirement, and Hluska is concerned that current hiring levels won’t meet incoming staffing needs.
“They are getting people. I just don’t think it’s enough to fill the shortfall. There are retirement-eligible officers right now, but it’s not a big booming number, so if they don’t close the gap now, they’re never going to catch up,” he said.
According to the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, the numbers of staff and incarcerated individuals have both been steadily declining for years.
But 2025 saw the largest number of staff the prison system lost in a single year. The steep drop left staff outnumbered 3 to 1. It hadn’t been that high since 2007.
State lawmakers say the current state of staffing in prisons isn’t a hopeless situation and can call upon Governor Hochul to help rectify the issue.
“It seems like every move that she’s made in the corrections realm has been the opposite of being helpful. Until corrections officers have a little bit of a safer job, a little bit better situation, and finally get some relief, I’m afraid we’re going to continue to go down this road,” said Mark Walczyk (R-49th state senate) whose district includes the north country’s prisons.
Hluska believes better sign-on and retention bonuses for new and long-time staff, along with changes to the HALT Act could help grow prison staffing numbers.
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