Hochul Releases Inmates After Firing Correctional Officers

New York Governor Kathy Hochul is at it again this time endangering public safety on a whole new level. After firing thousands of correctional officers and letting the prison system spiral into chaos, Hochul’s administration is now quietly releasing inmates early to cope with the staff shortage she created.

A newly surfaced memo from New York State Department of Corrections (DOCCS) Commissioner Daniel Martuscello shows that prison superintendents have been instructed to identify inmates for early release under the guise of “balancing safety and well-being.” The governor has already signed off on the plan, with her office confirming support for the move.

Let that sink in: Hochul fires prison guards, crime skyrockets, and now her solution is to let criminals out of prison to make up for the mess.

• The DOCCS memo explicitly cites the "current staffing crisis" as justification for moving inmates into Residential Treatment outcount status a bureaucratic term that means early release from confinement.

• The crisis stems from Hochul’s embrace of anti-law enforcement legislation like the HALT Act, which severely restricted how officers can manage violent inmates and led to widespread strikes and resignations.

• New York has already seen a 22% increase in violent crime since 2020, according to NYPD data, and this decision threatens to send those numbers even higher.

Republican Rep. Mike Lawler didn’t mince words:

“A dangerous misstep that puts all New Yorkers at risk… We need leaders who will tackle tough problems head-on, not resort to quick fixes that compromise the safety of law-abiding citizens.”

He’s right. This is not leadership it’s political cowardice. Hochul is scrambling to appease the radical wing of her party in Albany, even if it means putting violent criminals back on the streets. And she’s doing it as crime surges and trust in public safety erodes.

Bob Lonsberry, a Rochester-based journalist, nailed it:

“Kathy Hochul closed prisons and fired prison guards and now citing overcrowding and insufficient staff is releasing convicts from prison, just in time to buy favor with pro-criminal Democrats in the Assembly and Senate.”

This is what happens when ideology overrides accountability. Hochul and her allies would rather play politics with public safety than admit their policies are failing. Instead of hiring back the experienced officers she drove out, she’s giving inmates a free pass all while pretending it’s about “safety and well-being.”

New Yorkers deserve a governor who prioritizes victims over criminals, law and order over chaos. Until then, don’t be surprised if the next threat to your family’s safety comes from a prison Hochul just emptied.

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