Overcrowded, Understaffed Prisons Dangerous

ALBANY, NY (09/29/2009)(readMedia)-- Throughout the summer of 2009, the New York State Correction Officers & Police Benevolent Association attended and testified at each of the numerous statewide forums on workforce issues in the state correctional system. The state Assembly realized these forums were necessary to improve the deteriorating safety and security of New York's prisons and their surrounding communities.

At each of these forums, NYSCOPBA was given the opportunity to better educate the public and press in attendance about the current state of New York's prisons.

One thing became abundantly clear. New York's prisons are overcrowded, understaffed and dangerous. We found that the Department of Corrections'idea of budget cuts was to simply take inmates from one part of a prison and stuff them into another already crowded prison, and then cut security staff. That's their idea of a fiscal responsibility?

The following items of interest surfaced along with supporting documentation and facts at each of the hearings. The evidence showed that New York prisons are at 102 percent total capacity. The Department of Correctional Services manipulates and changes their data to meet their intended outcomes. DOCS maintains overstaffed administrations in both Albany and at each of the 69 prisons in New York.

The total salary for administrators in the state Department of Corrections is approximately $120 million dollars annually. This doesn't even include their free cars, free houses, free gasoline, free cell phones, free property taxes, etc. - all the while cutting vital front line security staff.

According the most recent DOCS staffing report, New York is 680 corrections officers below what they are budgeted for. Yet, DOCS violated the hiring freeze Executive Order of 2008 by creating and hiring Osborne McKay as deputy commissioner of industry at an annual salary of $120,000. DOCS hired 53 deputy superintendents for security and then $5.3 million dollars in salary was magically approved by correcting an "accounting glitch."

NYSCOPBA has been and will always be supportive of the governor's desire to seek potential cost savings within the budget, and we believe this year more than any other we need to begin to be more innovative. Each year around budget time the very administrators who know how to manipulate their own budgets are the very same ones who decide where the cuts will be made.

It is extremely disturbing that those charged with developing plans to institute cost-saving measures refuse to look in the mirror when making these decisions. DOCS will always eliminate correction officers in a futile attempt to make it appear that they have provided cost savings.

In essence, DOCS makes budget cuts based on self survival and continued existence. A vast administration exists while correction officers continue to be outnumbered 60 inmates to one officer.

We understand we accepted a dangerous job, but 60:1? By DOCS's own admission, there has been an approximate 10,000 inmate population decline since 1999. Also since 1999, there are 2,500 fewer correction officers.

Why do New York state taxpayers need to continue to fund a continued expansion of a massive administration to oversee far less staff and inmates?

Donn Rowe is president of the New York State Correction Officers & Police Benevolent Association.