ALBANY, New York (WWNY) – Three thousand New York military personnel remain in prisons statewide, assisting corrections officers and other employees as the state continues to recruit staff.
They’ve been there since the strikes in late February.
“When are the National Guard going to be out of these facilities? When are we going to see the assaults come out of the stratosphere? When are we going to see improvement of the situation? When are we going to see CO recruitment and retention improve?” said state Senator Dan Stec (R-45th District).
According to the State Division of Military and Naval Affairs, personnel working in prisons are paid $2,000 for each pay period they are on duty in the facility. Those working more than 50 miles from their homes are also housed and fed at the taxpayers’ expense.
“We’re bleeding money in this operation. We are bleeding staff,” said state Assemblyman Scott Gray (R-116th District).
According to the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, a recent recruitment campaign has led to a 160 percent increase in people taking the CO exam, hiring is up 62 percent, and graduation from the academy is up 46 percent.
But Gray says COs are leaving in droves.
“The bottom line is, they’re losing a lot of individuals. They’re bringing people in through the front door, through the recruitment effort; they’re going faster out the back door,” he said.
Union leaders say it’s hard to recruit when prisons are closing. The state announced Tuesday that Bare Hill Correctional Facility in Malone will close next March to utilize staff more effectively.
“They look in other employment because, ah, they keep closing prisons every year, and it has a long-term effect on the job and the recruitment as a whole,” said NYSCOPBA Northern Region Vice President John Roberts.
Assemblyman Ken Blankenbush says the continued reliance on the National Guard underscores how badly Albany has mismanaged the correctional system.
DOCCS says it is grateful for the help during the height of the strike and as it continues working on its “Recover, Recruit, Rebuild” campaign.
Copyright 2025 WWNY. All rights reserved.