Inmates have died in a New York prison as security guards from agencies throughout the state continue to strike.
Jonathon Grant, 61, passed away in one of the prisons over the weekend. The National Guard was deployed by Gov. Kathy Hochul and filled out efforts to alleviate staffing issues during their absence.
Grant was declared dead on Saturday after it was found not to respond to his cells at Auburn Correctional Facility. He had been sentenced to 34-40 years for rape and robbery.
It is unclear whether prison personnel played a role in Grant's death. The way he died is determined by a medical inspector.
NY Correctional Officers repeatedly attacked a handcuffed prisoner and went to pick him up by his neck before he died: Video
Correctional Officers and their supporters showcased the Cox Sackie Correctional Facility in the Hudson Valley, Cox Sackie, New York, on Monday, February 24th, 2025. (AP)
The office of the public defense attorney, which provided legal counsel to allow, expressed concern that the strike could have affected the inmate's medical care.
“Since the start of the strike, legal aid has received dozens of reports from imprisoned clients in New York about their inability to access critical healthcare and critical prescriptions, including blood pressure medication and necessary insulin shots. ”, the Legal Aid Association said in a statement. . “This tragic incident underscores the dangers posed by the ongoing strike as more than 40 prison staff have refused to fulfill their duties.”
New York prison guards began going out to work a week ago despite the move not being approved by union officials who admitted they were violating state laws that ban strikes by most civil servants. I did.
The judge ordered the impressive officers to return to work, but they remain on a strike.
Isaiah Waters, a prisoner at Woodbone Correctional Facility, told The Associated Press that his cell block has been closed for a week. He said four national security guards were assigned to 57 dormitories along with members of the Correctional Emergency Response Unit.
The inmate took over another New York prison, and all visits were cancelled the day after Hochul deployed the National Guard
Correctional Officers and their supporters showcased the Cox Sackie Correctional Facility in the Hudson Valley, Cox Sackie, New York, on Monday, February 24th, 2025. (AP)
“Tensions are being built up. I've never seen them like this,” Waters said. “There's no programming or religious services. You can't send emails or get visitors. We're not used to being around each other every day for these hours. ”
Waters, 37, said he expected the situation to get worse.
“They want the atmosphere to be violent to prove the point about staffing,” he said. “We seem to be caught up in a crossfire between their complaints between the union and Albany and their managers.”
Negotiations began Monday between state authorities and New York corrections officers, police charities and unions representing security guards. Prison workers are calling for better wages, better staffing, improved safety measures and start using solitary confinement again as a disciplinary tool.
More than 100 correctional officers and supporters protested Monday near the Coxsackie Correctional Facility in Hudson Valley. Some carried signs that read “Nys Fail Us” and “Wildcats.”
Retired Amendment Officer Ed Bentre said the strikes were primarily related to unsafe working conditions.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul deployed the National Guard to mitigate prison staffing issues throughout the state during the strike. (Photo: Alex Kent/Getty Images)
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“No one has seen the amount of violence and ignored the safety of an officer, not to mention the fact that personnel are historically low and that executives are mandatory to work 24 hours a day in a row with the threat of termination. I'm leaving prison,” Bentre said.
The attack on prison system staff jumped to 1,938 from 1,043 in 2019 in the first 11 months of 2019 to 1,938, state officials said. Meanwhile, attacks on prisoners swelled to 2,697 from 1,267 in 2019 for the first 11 months of 2024.
Last week, six security guards were charged with murder in December, killing inmate Robert Brooks at Mercy Correctional Facility.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
