ALBANY – The New York State Correctional Officers & Police Benevolent Association Inc. (NYSCOPBA) is accusing the author of New York’s HALT Act, State Senator Julia Salazar (D-Brooklyn), of publishing lies regarding the violence crisis in New York’s correctional facilities.
The HALT Act places restrictions on how violent inmates are treated in New York correctional facilities with regard to solitary confinement. It also established guidelines for humane conditions in segregated confinement, outlines reporting requirements, and adds due process protections by prohibiting placement in segregated confinement prior to a disciplinary hearing and by allowing access to counsel.
On Monday, October 17, Senator Salazar made several posts on her Twitter account claiming that NYSCOPBA was attempting to intimidate her using a mobile billboard in her home Senate District in Brooklyn, as well as other claims about the organization and its members, according to NYSCOPBA President Michael Powers.
Senator Salazar chairs the State Crime Victims, Crime, and Corrections Committee and has repeatedly blamed NYSCOPBA for failing to implement the HALT Act, which the union denies. With data showing that inmate violence against corrections officers has risen sharply since HALT was implemented, Salazar has said, “Security measures to keep staff and other incarcerated individuals safe “violate the HALT law.”
State data shows that the number of staff members injured during a violent assault increased by 40 percent over the first six months of HALT compared to the six months just prior to its implementation.
The number of staff injuries qualified by the state as “moderate,” “serious” or “severe” jumped 44 percent over that same timeframe. Injuries that fall into those categories are “lacerations, concussions, second-degree burns, serious sprains, dislocation, or ligament damage,” Powers explained.
Senator Salazar recently toured Mid-State Correctional Facility near Utica. After the tour, Salazar tweeted “HALT is being flippantly violated by the DOCCS all the time.” DOCCS refers to the NYS Department of Corrections and Community Supervision.
“Senator Salazar mentions a recent visit to Mid-State Correctional Facility where she didn’t hear one “single report from officers that violence has increased,” said Powers who added, “That can be expected when you tour a prison and don’t actually speak to any officers.”
The individual pictured on the billboard truck parked outside Senator Salazar’s office is an officer from Mid-State Correctional Facility. “Unfortunately, this officer has yet to return to work after being brutally assaulted during an unprovoked attack, which required 60 stitches to her forehead and lingering head trauma,” Powers said. Noting that the NYSCOPBA is keeping the injured officer in their thoughts, Powers took aim at the senator. “I have a suggestion for Senator Salazar – the next time you visit a facility, take the time to speak to some of the staff members or better yet, an officer who was the victim of an unprovoked attack to hear how your HALT Act has negatively impacted their lives.”
Senator Salazar’s office did not respond to a request from Mid-Hudson News seeking comment.
