NYS GOP: Repeal HALT Act now

After meeting with family members of correction officers, Senate Republicans call for executive action to repeal dangerous law that endangers correction officers & inmates

Submitted by the Office of New York State Sen. Rob Ortt

On Monday, members of the New York Senate ​Republican conference met with family members of state correction officers and urged immediate action by Gov. Kathy Hochul in response to recent prison strikes, calling for an executive order to repeal the HALT (Humane Alternatives to Long-Term Solitary Confinement) Act

Since last week, correction officers have been on strike in dozens of facilities throughout the state. The officers began the strike in response to deteriorating work conditions, including understaffing, mandatory overtime, excessively long shifts, and polices – like the HALT Act – that have made their jobs more difficult and dangerous. A recent report from DOCCS shows dramatic increases in the number of assaults within our prisons since the enactment of HALT. From 2002 to 2024, assaults on staff from inmates increased by 1,473 (a 32% increase), inmate on inmate assaults increased by 1,489 (an 81% increase), and overall assaults increased from 2,962 in 2022 to 4,635 (a 56% increase).

“The dangerous situation in our prisons is a direct result of bad policies and a lack of leadership from Albany,” Ortt said. “We ask our correction officers to do a dangerous job. As a result of bad Democrat policies, the resources correction officers need to do their jobs safely have continually been stripped away. I’ve listened to the many families of COs who are suffering the most – not having their loved one home because of grueling, long shifts and their safety being threatened every day is heartbreaking. I have been proud to stand with our COs and their families for as long as I’ve been in office, and this conference will continue to stand with them until changes are made to keep them safe as they carry out a very difficult job. This crisis will not come to an end without changes in policy from Albany, starting with a repeal of the HALT act.”

State Sen. ​Pam Helming said, “State government can no longer ignore the dangerous situation inside correctional facilities. It can no longer refuse to make the changes needed to keep everyone safe – COs, correctional staff, inmates – and the communities outside the walls. Lawmakers can no longer stand by and watch this crisis unfold from the sidelines. Repeal the HALT Act, require contraband screening, pass the 20-year retirement option, and finally take meaningful action to address chronic understaffing and unsafe overtime mandates.”

State Sen. Dan Stec said, “Our correction officers work in some of the most dangerous conditions in our state. For that, they deserve our respect and support. Instead, Gov. Hochul is issuing threats and demeaning their service. I’m proud to be here today with officers, their families and my Senate Republican colleagues in calling for an end to the governor’s heated rhetoric and to put a stop to the policies like HALT that have made it extraordinarily difficult for COs to keep correctional facilities secure.”

State Sen. Patrick Gallivan said, “Corrections officers have one of the most difficult jobs in law enforcement. Staffing shortages, mandatory overtime, the HALT Act and other policy changes are making an already dangerous environment even worse. The state has an obligation to ensure that correctional facilities are adequately staffed and that officers have the resources and tools necessary to keep everyone in our prisons safe. The state has failed in this responsibility. Everyone who lives, works and visits our correctional facilities deserves a safe and secure environment. It is time for the executive and Legislature to listen to, and work with, the corrections professional to ensure that is the case.”

State Sen. George Borrello said, “New York's dedicated corrections officers have been enduring working conditions that are downright horrific. Chronic understaffing, brutal double and triple shifts, and an explosion of assaults fueled by the HALT Act have made an already-dangerous job absolutely intolerable. Instead of addressing these dangers, Gov. Hochul is threatening to retaliate against those who have been pleading for help for two long years. These officers didn’t walk off the job by choice – they were pushed to the brink by Albany’s reckless policies. The governor must act now – repeal HALT, restore order, and put safety first. Anything less is an outright failure of leadership.”

State Sen. Mark Walczyk said, "I stand firmly with our correction officers who are bravely raising the alarm about the dangerous conditions they face daily in our prisons. The Senate Republican conference calls on the governor and the majorities in the Legislature to take immediate action to restore safe working environments for those who serve on the front lines of public safety. It is time to prioritize the safety and security of our correctional institutions and support the dedicated law enforcement professionals who work tirelessly to keep our communities safe.”

New York State Sen. Rob Rolison said, “As the ranking member of the crime victims, crime and correction committee, I’m seeing firsthand how the HALT Act has done nothing but make our prisons more dangerous for corrections officers, staff and even incarcerated individuals. It is our responsibility to restore safety and order in our correctional facilities, protecting those who work tirelessly to keep everyone safe. Today, alongside the families of brave corrections officers, we are making it clear that Albany must act now to repeal the HALT Act and ensure safe and humane conditions in the state’s correctional system.”

The HALT Act went into effect in New York in 2022 and has tied the hands of our correction officers to protect themselves, as well as other inmates in their facilities.

The Senate Republican conference has consistently called on the Democrat majorities to prioritize the needs of our law enforcement and equip them with tools needed to do their jobs safely and effectively, as well as for the reversal of progressive policies, such as the HALT Act, that have empowered violent inmates, stripped officers of necessary tools to maintain order, and created an untenable crisis in our correctional facilities.

Our conference will continue to stand in solidarity with New York’s correction officers who have been sounding the alarm on dangerous working conditions in our state’s prisons. Immediate action from the governor and Democrat majorities in the Legislature is necessary to restore safe working conditions, reverse these disastrous policies, and support the law enforcement professionals who keep our communities safe.

Senate Republicans pointed to key proposals that could provide an immediate impact toward making correctional facilities safer for workers, visitors and inmates:

> S.2656: Repeals the HALT Act (Stec);

> S.3087: Requires DOCCS to establish a contraband screening plan for correctional facilities, including the use of drug-detecting canines at the entrance of each correctional facility, and the development of a third-party secure vendor mail program for packages received by inmates Helming); and

> S.4422: Requires visitors to submit to body scanners before entering a correctional facility (Stec). 

In addition to calling for common-sense proposals to increase safety in correctional facilities, Senate Republicans introduced an amendment ​on the Senate floor during today’s session to ​repeal the HALT Act. Every Senate Democrat voted against the amendment.

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On Tuesday, Hochul said, “I want to take a moment to address the illegal walkouts that are occurring at prison facilities all across the state of New York. Let me be clear: The illegal actions being taken by a number of individuals is putting the entire state at risk. We need them back to work; this must end immediately.

“My administration has worked tirelessly over the last nine days to resolve this. In fact, we've brought in mediators requested by the union. The mediation started yesterday, it continues again today. We want to find out what the issue is, because the individuals who've walked out – in an unsanctioned strike, unapproved by the union – have yet to tell us the issues.

“We've done everything we can to encourage them to get back to work. They know they are in violation of the New York State Taylor Law. They also are in violation of a temporary restraining order to return to work. We offered an amnesty period where they could go back to work, no questions asked. We also repealed a staffing memo that had been viewed as controversial. We also suspended portions of the HALT law, which requires a certain amount of time out and other activities that we do not have the staffing to implement.

“I've also had to deploy 6,500 members of the National Guard to do the jobs of those who've walked out. That means that they've been taken either from their homes or critical assignments – whether they're protecting assets in New York City or elsewhere against terrorism.

“We have tried hard to end this – I've had conversations with many, many leaders – but, we need a good faith effort to resolve this, starting now. I'm prepared to do that. I understand there's a lot of frustration about the long hours. I have long stood with the corrections officers of this state – more than, I'm going to guess, any other governor – and say, ‘These conditions are hard.’ I understand that. We need more of you on the job, I get that.

“But, we have a situation right now, which is absolutely untenable, especially the fact that there were prisons left unguarded – think about that. The incarcerated population was left unguarded. There were people from other unions, people who work in health care, and the commissary, who were left unprotected by these actions.

“Thank God for the National Guard that are in there doing work that they never anticipated, and the condition inside the prisons is stabilized. We've had to start legal proceedings against these individuals – not something I ever would want to do, but I have a law to enforce. We've also let them know that, if you are striking, you’re AWOL. You no longer secure the right to have health benefits from the state – that goes away. Your legal proceedings have started. Your legal representation is not covered by the union, because this is not sanctioned by the union; they will not pay for this.

“And I am so grateful to the law-abiding correction officers who are still showing up and want to get back to work in a normal setting. We will get there as soon as possible. These are difficult, difficult jobs. I know that; I know that. But people took an oath of office to protect the public. We have to get back to ensuring that that oath is kept. There's an enormous strain on our system right now. I encourage everyone to come back to work. We hear you with respect to the long hours. I'm working hard to address that, but we also have – as we've heard here in the city of Albany – recruitment issues. These are hard jobs; not everybody is signing up for them.

“We're doing the very best we can. The prison population has declined by half over the last number of years. We're working hard to consolidate, making sure that we are maximizing every bed in our facilities. In fact, we're transporting members of the incarcerated population as we speak to take them to other facilities where I can protect them more readily.”

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The views expressed here are those of the author and speakers.