BILL NUMBER: S6620
SPONSOR: SKOUFIS
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the labor law, in relation to establishing a correction-
al employee protective labor practices board
 
PURPOSE:
Creates the correctional employee protective labor practices board.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1: Amends the labor law by adding a new article 37, "Protective
Labor Practices for State Correctional Employees." To require that there
is a Correctional Employee Protective Labor Practices Board, consisting
of thirteen members. The board includes the commissioners of labor and
corrections (or their designees), representatives from various correc-
tional labor unions, the Correctional Association of New York, and
legislative appointees from both the state senate and assembly.
Section 2: Sets Effective Date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
State correctional facilities in New York are facing a severe crisis.
In recent years, correctional officers have reported a significant rise
in violent incidents within the prison system, jeopardizing the safety
of both staff and incarcerated individuals. According to the Department
of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS), over 2,000 assaults on
staff and nearly 3,000 assaults among incarcerated individuals occurred
in 2024 alone. Additionally, a tragic incident at Marcy Correctional
Facility on December 10, 2024, resulted in the death of an incarcerated
individual, Robert Brooks, leading to murder and manslaughter charges
against nine correctional officers. In another alarming event, two dozen
employees at Upstate Correctional Facility were hospitalized in January
2025 due to potential drug exposures.
Amid these escalating concerns, the New York State Correctional Officers
& Police Benevolent Association (NYSCOBA) issued a vote of no confidence
in the DOCCS commissioner in early February 2025. Shortly after, the
commissioner issued a directive reducing the required staffing thresh-
old, declaring that 70* of staff capacity would now be considered full
staffing. Tensions further escalated when incarcerated individuals
briefly took control of a dorm at Collins Correctional Facility on
February 12. In response to ongoing safety concerns and labor griev-
ances, correctional officers initiated a wildcat strike on February 17,
2025, demanding improved staffing levels, the elimination of mandatory
overtime, and the repeal of the HALT Act, which limits the use of soli-
tary confinement.
The governor responded by deploying the National Guard to secure state
prisons on February 19. The following day, the DOCCS commissioner
rescinded the 70'6 staffing directive and temporarily suspended portions
of the HALT Act. Mediation has been scheduled to address the strike and
related issues. Meanwhile, the governor has requested legislative
approval to close five additional prisons within a 90-day period during
the 2025-2026 budget year.
Regardless of the mediation's outcome, it is imperative to conduct a
comprehensive review of the state's correctional system. The legislature
and the people of New York have a responsibility to ensure that correc-
tional facilities are safe, secure, and conducive to rehabilitation.
This bill establishes the Correctional Employee Protective Labor Prac-
tices Board to assess staffing levels and labor practices affecting
state correctional facilities. The board will be responsible for making
recommendations to improve DOCCS' labor policies, with a directive for
their implementation whenever practicable. If additional funding is
required to enact these recommendations, the governor and legislature
will have the opportunity to address such needs in future state budgets.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New bill.
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
Minimal.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately