WXXI News
Prison reform is back in the headlines in New York State, following a massive strike by corrections officers. The wildcat strike began on February 17, with thousands of corrections officers at more than forty state prisons walking off the job.
Officers protested working conditions for nearly a month before more than 2,000 were fired for not returning to work. As reported by Capitol News Bureau reporter Jeongyoon Han, the strike exacerbated staffing shortages in prisons and has ignited debate over the Humane Alternatives to Long-Term Solitary Confinement — or HALT — Act.
Governor Kathy Hochul has proposed new reforms; the ideas have been met with mixed reviews. This hour, we explore the state of prison reform in New York.
Our guests:
- Jeongyoon Han, Capitol News Bureau reporter for the New York Public News Network
- Jennifer Scaife, executive director of the Correctional Association of New York
- Michael Stamp, corrections officer
