Last week, Assemblyman Matt Simpson (R,C,I-Horicon) joined Sen. Dan Stec, Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt, members of the Assembly and officials from the New York State Correction Officers Police Benevolent Association (NYSCOPBA) to announce legislation that would repeal the HALT Act. As the final few days of the 2022 Legislative Session near, legislators and NYSCOPBA are enraged that this will be left unaddressed, leaving no protection for correction officers against further unprovoked attacks. 

The HALT Act was implemented last year to reduce the number of days spent in special housing within a correctional facility, but instead it nearly eliminates the ability to separate incarcerated individuals from one another. This leaves violent offenders together throughout the facilities and creates the potential for gang violence and other fights, increasing the risk to correction officers’ safety. Since the legislation was enacted, NYSCOPBA filed a lawsuit to overturn HALT as increased violence and attacks on officers have increased by roughly 25 percent since April 1 of this year. According to their statistics, the average number of inmates assaulted by other inmates since April 1, 2022 was roughly 131, compared to 99 inmates prior to HALT implementation. The same increase in violence is shown on correction officers of a soaring 129 staff assaulted post-HALT and 40 staff alone during the week of May 22, 2022. 

“How much more violence do these correction officers need to endure? This is not a partisan issue. This is about protecting correction officers and inmates, but they have been ignored. It’s that simple. We cannot condone violence and must protect our correction officers who already work in dangerous situations,” said Simpson. “The special housing units still give inmates access to the outside, visitation and the same privileges as other inmates, but they are kept separate to reduce violence. Just like society outside of correction facilities, it is important to separate individuals when safety is at stake. I am disappointed with Albany Majority lawmakers for ignoring NYSCOPBA’s efforts to protect their law enforcement and our legislation to repeal the HALT Act. Why are we waiting to act?”