Senator Rolison Urges Governor and New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision to Reinstate Terminated Corrections Officers Amid Growing Public Safety Concerns

Senator Rob Rolison (R-39th District), a State Senate strong voice on corrections safety and crime victim advocacy, is calling on the Governor and New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) to immediately reinstate terminated correction officers, giving the DOCCS the power to bring back the staff who have the experience and who are willing to return, and issuing warning that continued inaction puts lives and public safety at risk.

In a letter to DOCCS Commissioner Daniel F. Martuscello III, Senator Rolison, Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Crime Victims, Crime and Correction and a former Town of Poughkeepsie police officer, along with his colleague, Senator Dean Murray (R-3rd District), expressed deep concern over the compromised conditions inside state prisons due to the ongoing staffing shortage — a situation they say has only worsened following the dismissal of experienced correction officers. The Senators also raised alarm over the state’s consideration of early release for incarcerated individuals as a way to address the shortage. Rolison and Murray are urging the Governor and DOCCS to “prioritize the needs of our corrections system” and “put the safety of the public first” by pardoning the terminated officers and giving DOCCS the authority to rehire them.

“The Governor’s decision to terminate trained correction officers who spoke out for safer working conditions has endangered lives, destabilized our facilities, and now puts untrained National Guardsmen and women in harm’s way,” said Senator Rolison. “This is a crisis of leadership that compromises public safety and puts both staff and the incarcerated at serious risk. These men and women are experienced professionals who chose public service and deserve a second chance — something the Governor has vocally championed through laws like the Clean Slate Act. Safety is at stake in our facilities, and we cannot afford any delay.”

Read the full letter sent to Commissioner Martuscello here.

For more information on Senator Rolison and his work on behalf of the Hudson Valley, visit www.nysenate.gov/senators/rob-rolison, reach out to the office at 845-229-0106, and follow him on Facebook and Instagram.