Corrections officers who participated in the wildcat strikes at Auburn, Cayuga and Five Points state prisons have been barred from future employment into New York State service under an executive order issued by Governor Kathy Hochul.
The order also recommends their removal from the Central Registry of Police and Peace Officers for cause, which would prevent them from being hired as a police or peace officer in state and local jurisdictions.
The announcement follows the termination of more than 2,000 corrections officers who did not report to work on Monday after an agreement was reached between the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) and the New York State Correctional Officers & Police Benevolent Association (NYSCOPBA).
Assemblyman Phil Palmesano offered these comments in response to the Governor’s newest executive order
“You think Gov Hochul should have learned from her predecessor who abused his executive authority during COVID.
“The governor could have used her executive authority to declare a staffing and safety crisis inside our correctional facilities and actually suspended the dangerous HALT Act to protect the safety of Correction Officers (COs) and inmates alike inside our prisons.
“Instead, she is grossly abusing her executive authority to extract retribution and just further hurt our COs even more by trying to devastate any potential future employment opportunities they may have. Shame on her. She should rescind this now.”
Palmesano represents parts of Schuyler, Seneca, Steuben and Yates counties in the 132nd Assembly District.
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