CANTON, New York (WWNY) – A representative for the state\u2019s unionized prison workers is sounding the alarm over an incoming wave of corrections officer retirements.<\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n
\u201cYou couldn\u2019t run into someone who wasn\u2019t taking the test, took the test, waiting to go to the academy, in the academy, got out of the academy,\u201d Hluska said.<\/p>\n
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\u2019t meet incoming staffing needs.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey are getting people. I just don\u2019t think it\u2019s enough to fill the shortfall. There are retirement-eligible officers right now, but it\u2019s not a big booming number, so if they don\u2019t close the gap now, they\u2019re never going to catch up,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
According to the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, the numbers of staff and incarcerated individuals have both been steadily declining for years.<\/p>\n
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\u2019t been that high since 2007.<\/p>\n
State lawmakers say the current state of staffing in prisons isn\u2019t a hopeless situation and can call upon Governor Hochul to help rectify the issue.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt seems like every move that she\u2019s 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\u2019m afraid we\u2019re going to continue to go down this road,\u201d said Mark Walczyk (R-49th state senate) whose district includes the north country\u2019s prisons.<\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n
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