By ORISANMI BURTON / INQUEST
New York state prison guards have been on strike since February 17. The strike began in part as a result of attempts by the state to prosecute the death of Robert Brooks, a forty-three-year-old Black father who was serving a twelve-year prison sentence at Marcy Correctional Facility when he was fatally beaten by guards on December 9, 2024. (He passed away at a nearby hospital the following day.) Guards have also complained of out-of-control facilities, understaffing, and new regulations curtailing the use of solitary confinement. During the strike, the New York National Guard has been temporarily acting as guards at many of the unstaffed facilities…
On February 28, the administration of New York governor Kathy Hochul reached a temporary agreement with the New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association (NYSCOPBA) to end the illegal action. The agreement stipulated that guards who returned to work by March 1 would not face penalties for violating the state’s Taylor Law…