“After additional review of the governor’s budget proposal, we’ve found that the he wants state legislators to, again, give him the authority to fast track state prison closures with only 90 days’ notice rather than the statutory, one-year notice requirement. My response? Absolutely not! It’s arrogant, it’s misguided and it’s just the governor’s latest example of his contempt for checks and balances and lack of respect for the brave men and women who work a very dangerous job to keep us safe.

“Violence, drug use and gang activity in our state prisons continue to escalate. Our dedicated correction officers show up every day to work in a pressure-cooker, powder keg environment created by the governor.

“He continues his efforts to jam the entire inmate population into fewer and fewer understaffed facilities. He is continuing, rather than eliminating, the dangerous and inhumane practice of double-bunking and double-celling inmates. There are still over 6,000 double-bunks and double-cells in the system. Quite frankly, before even one more correctional facility is even considered to be closed down in New York state, we should finally end, once and for all, the double-bunking and double-celling of inmates.

“Gov. Cuomo has failed to provide the necessary tools and resources to stop drugs from getting into our correctional facilities. He continues to restrict and eliminate important disciplinary tools, like utilizing special housing units to separate violent and dangerous inmates from other inmates, which helps to keep our correction officers a little bit safer while performing their jobs.

“More prison closures is not the answer! It will not just add insult to injury, but will further exacerbate the staggering rise of inmate-on-staff assaults (from 747 in 2014 to 1,033 in 2019, up 38%) and inmate-on-inmate assaults (from 860 in 2014 to 1,263 in 2019, up 47%). Time and time again, the governor’s criminal justice policies favor criminals and inmates at the expense of law enforcement officials, crime victims and public safety. This is not just a terrible idea. It’s a dangerous idea. I will continue to stand with our brave correction officers and their families by speaking out against this dangerous and misguided proposal and urge my legislative colleagues to push back and fight against this during upcoming budget hearings and budget negotiations,” said Palmesano.