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Lawmakers press agencies over staffing and safety at correctional facilities amid wildcat strikes
Summary
Multiple legislators used the budget hearing to press labor and civil service officials about corrections staffing, workplace safety, and the effects of short‑staffing and forced overtime on public‑service employees; unions emphasized assaults and hazardous conditions in DOCS and other state facilities.
Multiple legislators raised an urgent concern about staffing and security at Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCS) facilities and in other state care settings, pressing labor and civil service officials on whether their agencies can do more to protect staff and residents. Several members said DOCS and related facilities have seen large increases in inmate‑on‑staff and inmate‑on‑inmate assaults in recent years and described the current situation as a crisis for the safety of staff and residents alike.
Unions and witnesses told committees that chronic short‑staffing forces mandations and long double shifts, and that those conditions are worsening safety and morale. Randy D'Antonio of the Public Employees Federation said facilities are dealing with assaults, exposure to bodily fluids, illegal drugs and repeated overnight mandations: "Our staff are facing dangerous conditions. That includes assaults, rapes, exposure to illegal drugs, bodily fluids."
Agency responses: Commissioner Roberta Reardon said the Department of Labor has limited jurisdiction over DOCS and public employee safety (PESH) matters but that the DOL does respond to complaints and can coordinate with DOCS and other agencies. Timothy Hoag and Michael Valforti described civil service and employee relations steps to recruit and retain staff, including job fairs, marketing campaigns, apprenticeship pathways, and proposals to modernize testing and pay. Unions urged more direct intervention and a review of staffing ratios, scheduling, and safety equipment (body scanners, radios, staffing complements) across DOCS, OMH, OPWDD and OCFS sites.
Why it matters: Committee members repeatedly framed the issue as both a workforce shortage and a public‑safety problem. Several lawmakers described family and community stress related to the ongoing situation and asked the administration to convene immediate multi‑agency plans to shore up staffing and safety protocols.
Ending: Lawmakers pressed agencies to provide specific strategies and resources to correct short‑staffing and safety gaps. Officials reiterated that they are working with DOCS in various ways and acknowledged that operational and staffing reforms are necessary; unions called for immediate steps on safety equipment, staffing, and worker protections.
