Crowd gathers outside Fishkill facility
Gov. Kathy Hochul said on Wednesday (Feb. 19) she would call in the New York National Guard if wildcat strikes by state prison guards continue.
At the Fishkill Correctional Facility, on the town’s border with Beacon, protestors gathered on Tuesday to highlight the concerns of guards who have walked out, according to News12. The state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision says guards are protesting or on strike at 25 prisons. State law prohibits public employees from going on strike, and the union that represents state correctional officers said it had not authorized the walk-out.
Protestors demanded that the state repeal a law that limits long-term solitary confinement, mandate body scans for visitors, scan mail sent to inmates, offer a $5,000 bonus to new employees and limit shifts with overtime to 16 hours. As of Wednesday, visitation has been canceled at many prisons, not including Fishkill.
