New York Ends Prison Strike, Fires Over 2,000 Guards for Refusing to Return

Governor Hochul declares the three-week strike over but faces challenges with understaffed prisons and ongoing investigations into inmate deaths.

Governor Hochul announced the termination of over 2,000 prison guards who failed to return to work after the illegal 22-day strike, barring them from future state employment.
The state reached an agreement with the union to address grievances, including a temporary suspension of parts of the HALT Act and improved overtime policies, but the required 85% return-to-work threshold was not met.
Approximately 10,000 correctional officers have returned to work, leaving prisons short-staffed by about 3,500 employees compared to pre-strike levels.
The National Guard, with over 6,000 personnel, remains deployed in prisons to support operations as the state begins an aggressive recruitment campaign to rebuild the workforce.
Seven inmate deaths occurred during the strike, with at least two under criminal investigation, including allegations of guard misconduct in the deaths of Messiah Nantwi and Robert Brooks.