New York Fires 2,000 Prison Guards for Defying Return-to-Work Order

New York officials fired more than 2,000 correctional officers on Monday for refusing to return to work after a weeks-long strike, marking one of the largest public-sector terminations in state history.

Governor Kathy Hochul had previously deployed the National Guard to fill in at understaffed prisons, and officials now say the Guard will remain in place while the Department of Corrections scrambles to recruit new officers.

Corrections Commissioner Daniel Martuscello announced that the state would proceed with the mass firings after a deal reached over the weekend failed to meet the required 85% return-to-work threshold.

• Over 2,000 correctional officers fired for not complying with return orders.

• New York prisons now short-staffed with only 10,000 security personnel, down from 13,500.

• Governor Hochul relies on National Guard to fill the void as recruitment efforts ramp up.

The strike, which began on February 17, was not sanctioned by the officers' union but was fueled by worsening conditions inside prisons and frustration over restrictive policies such as limitations on solitary confinement. A new agreement temporarily suspends those limits for 90 days to assess their impact on safety.

Meanwhile, the crisis inside New York’s prisons has escalated, with multiple inmate deaths under investigation, including one at Mid-State Correctional Facility that has resulted in officers being placed on administrative leave.

This situation is yet another example of Democratic leadership's inability to maintain order and safety. Rather than addressing the root causes of the strike low morale, dangerous working conditions, and weak policies Hochul’s administration has chosen to replace seasoned officers with emergency deployments and a rushed hiring process.

New York's prisons, already struggling with rising violence, are now left with fewer trained professionals and an uncertain future.

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