New York to release some inmates early after firing more than 2,000 prison guards

New York State plans to release some inmates early in response to staffing shortages following statewide prison strikes

That's according to an internal memo obtained by multiple news outlets in which New York State Department of Corrections Commissioner Daniel Marticello directed prison superintendents to begin creating list of qualified inmates

Inmates must be within 15 to 110 days from their scheduled release dates

They can't be serving time for high-level felonies, violent felonies, or sex offenses

And the inmate must have an approved residence, not a shelter or Department of Social Services placement

The move to release prisoners early comes after a 22-day corrections officer strike earlier this year

caused disruption across the state's prison system. The state eventually fired more than 2,000 guards who refused to return to work

after the state and guards union reached a deal to end the strike

The National Guard is still in place to fill those open roles

Democratic New York Governor Kathy Hockel signed an executive order preventing state agencies from hiring guards who were fired for striking

A spokesperson for Hockel released a statement Tuesday, saying the governor supports Marticello efforts to safely address staffing shortages and personnel concerns Republican Representative Mike Lawler who is looking at a run for New York governor next year

told Politico, Hockel's decision is a dangerous misstep, adding we need leaders who will tackle

tough problems head on, not resort to quick fixes that compromise the safety of law-abiding

citizens. New Yorkers deserve better than policies that prioritize criminals. over victims. New York Republican Senator Jim Tidisco released a statement saying in part

I thought it was an April Fool's joke when I first read that the governor is planning for the

early release of convicted felons in our state prison system due to understaffing

A representative from the Center for Community Alternatives released a statement to WSTM News

calling the move a good start, but added, this move is far too narrow and excludes tens of thousands

of people who have long since demonstrated their readiness to return home and contribute to their

communities. According to the memo, the directive will allow the inmates to serve the remainder

of their sentence under parole supervision when released. For Straight Arrow News, I'm Kara Rucker

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