Inmate Fatality Recorded as Prolonged Illegal Strike by Prison Guards Enters Second Week

COXSACKIE, N.Y.—A wildcat strike by correctional officers in New York’s prisons, now entering its second week, is raising alarms about worsening conditions within the facilities.

An inmate, 61-year-old Jonathon Grant, died over the weekend at a facility where National Guard personnel were called in to operate in place of corrections officers who had walked off the job. Grant, who was serving a 34-to-40-year sentence for rape and burglary, was found unresponsive in his cell at the Auburn Correctional Facility and was pronounced dead on Saturday, according to state officials.

It remains unclear if the staffing situation in the prison played a role in Grant’s death. Officials have not yet released any details regarding his medical history. A medical examiner is expected to determine the cause of death, stated state prison system spokesperson Thomas Mailey.

The public defender’s office that represented Grant has voiced concerns about how the walkout by correctional officers has disrupted medical services for inmates.

“Since the onset of the strike, Legal Aid has received numerous reports from incarcerated clients statewide regarding their inability to access vital medical care and necessary prescriptions, including medications for blood pressure and insulin shots,” stated The Legal Aid Society. “This tragic incident underscores the risks associated with the ongoing strike, as personnel in over 40 prisons refuse to perform their duties.”

The walkout by guards began a week ago as an unapproved job action not sanctioned by union officials, who acknowledge it contravenes a state law that prohibits strikes by most public workers.

In response, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has dispatched National Guard troops to the prisons to help maintain order. A judge ordered the striking officers to return to work last week; however, they chose to remain absent.

Isaiah Waters, an inmate at the Woodbourne Correctional Facility, shared in a phone interview that his cell block has been under lockdown for a week, with just four National Guard officers overseeing his 57-person dorm, alongside a correctional emergency response team.

“The tension is escalating. I’ve never witnessed anything like this,” remarked Waters, who has been incarcerated since the age of 19. “There are no programs, no religious activities, no mail, and no visitors allowed. We are not accustomed to being cooped up together for this long.”

Waters foresees that the situation could worsen. “They want the environment to turn violent to underscore their point about staffing,” he commented. “It feels like we are caught in the crossfire between the union’s disputes with Albany and the prison administration.”

Mediation talks between state officials and the New York State Correctional Officers & Police Benevolent Association, which represents the officers, commenced on Monday. The correctional staff is advocating for improved pay, better staffing, enhanced safety measures, and the reinstatement of solitary confinement as a disciplinary tactic.

On Monday, over 100 corrections officers and their supporters rallied near the Coxsackie Correctional Facility in the Hudson Valley, holding signs that read “NYS Failed Us” and “Wildcats.” Drivers passing by honked in solidarity.

The protesting guards declined to give their names to reporters, but retired corrections officer Ed Ventre stated that the strike primarily revolves around unsafe working conditions.

“No one has ever encountered the level of violence and disregard for officer safety as we have now; plus, staffing is at a historical low, with officers being forced to work 24-hour shifts under the threat of termination if they leave,” Ventre explained.

According to state officials, assaults against prison staff rose from 1,043 in all of 2019 to 1,938 in the first 11 months of 2024, while assaults on inmates more than doubled, from 1,267 in 2019 to 2,697 in the same period of 2024.

Last week, six guards were charged with murder in connection with the death of Robert Brooks, who was beaten by a group of officers at the Marcy Correctional Facility in December.

The last of the six, Nicholas Kieffer, appeared in court on Monday and pleaded not guilty, according to prosecutors. His attorney, David Longeretta, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

By Michael Hill, Cedar Attanasio, and Jake Offenhartz