The Collins Correctional Facility faced significant challenges recently when a dorm barricade incident unveiled the institution’s staffing shortages and systemic issues.
Quick Takes
- The Collins Correctional Facility was placed on lockdown due to contraband and dorm barricades.
- The Correctional Emergency Response Teams successfully managed the situation.
- No hostages were taken, and the situation was resolved with minimal force.
- The incident highlights critical staffing shortages affecting operational safety.
The Incident Overview
Early in the morning, correctional authorities at Collins Correctional Facility in Erie County, New York, discovered inmates barricading themselves within dormitories. The lockdown was triggered by an attempt to discard contraband items, leading to the recovery of two cell phones. Although force was employed to regain control, no hostages were taken during this tense situation.
The Correctional Emergency Response Teams (CERT) and the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision’s Office of Special Investigations swiftly intervened. Their involvement underscores the significant resource challenges faced by correctional facilities due to ongoing staffing shortages. An officer sustained a minor injury while inmates remained unharmed. According to a state corrections agency statement, the facility remains on lockdown pending a complete frisk to ensure safety.
Staffing and Safety Challenges
Staffing shortages in New York’s prisons are critically affecting the state’s prison system. Current levels stand at about 70% of former staffing levels, leading to concerns about the safety and functionality of these facilities. The union representing correction officers emphasizes the overworked staff contributing to unsafe conditions. Recent reports indicate a significant surge in assaults on staff members, with violence levels rising over five years.
“The actions that we see like what happened and what has transpired today is strictly only because they know there’s no penalty and the politicians making the changes, they’re making the changes to better the convicts, not to make it safer for the staff that work in there every day,” said Kenny Gold, the NYSCOPBA Western Region Vice President.
Concerns extend beyond the Collins facility. James Miller from the correction officers’ union reports increased incidents of violence due to changes like the HALT Act, which diminishes the disciplinary system’s efficacy. Efforts to address the crisis include proposals for stricter oversight, increased recruitment drives, and better starting salaries for officers.
Broader Implications and Systemic Issues
This incident is part of a broader pattern of unrest within New York’s correctional system. Recent closures prioritize cost-saving over security and staff safety according to union leaders. Last year alone, 1,600 corrections officers departed the workforce, coinciding with a rise in inmate population by 2,100 individuals. These trends stir grave concerns about the sustainability and safety of correctional operations.
“There have been a couple of assaults at Collins in the last couple months. Obviously it’s indicative of the climate. Statewide inmate staff violence is at record levels for the last three years,” said James Miller, the spokesperson for the New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association.
Furthermore, Jerome Wright, a prisoner rights advocate, calls attention to the need for policy changes concerning inmate treatment, including reduced reliance on solitary confinement. Concurrently, state lawmakers propose bills to bolster oversight in correctional facilities, and Governor Hochul pledges to enhance conditions despite these compounded issues.
