State announces changes to entice striking correction workers to go back to work, including HALT Act

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — New York State announced changes to state prisons to entice striking correction officers to go back to work, according to a memorandum obtained by WIVB News 4 on Thursday.

The Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) announced it will temporarily suspend parts of the controversial HALT Act under “exceptional circumstances,” where the circumstances “create a significant and unreasonable risk to the safety and security of other incarcerated persons, staff or the facility.” It will also immediately rescind the “70/30” memorandum from earlier this month that indicated that prisons were fully staffed at 70% capacity and provide a boost in overtime pay to a rate of 2.5 times the regular rate for employees who go back to work during the current emergency declared by Gov. Kathy Hochul.

The state also said it will not pursue discipline against any striking officers who return to work before 11:59 p.m. Thursday.

The state added that the over 4,500 National Guard members who are currently staffing prisons will stay until prisons can be stabilized and officers can fully return to work.

It’s unknown if this announcement will be enough for the thousands of correction officers across the state to return to work on Thursday. The memorandum represents the first formal moves the state and DOCCS have made in an attempt to get officers back to work.

The officers have been on strike since Monday and the strike has expanded to over 30 prisons across New York, including four in Western New York. Officer demands include the reversal of the HALT Act, higher staffing levels, no overtime mandates over 16 hours, mandated body scans for visitors, scans of mail coming to inmates, a $5,000 bonus for new employees, and other benefits.

DOCCS responds to corrections officer demands

New York State corrections officers drafted on Monday a list of demands in order for a return to work, which were released publicly in a court filing Wednesday that ordered the strike to end. The Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) responded to the demands after their submission.

DOCCS deemed the corrections officer strikes “illegal” and said they are “jeopardizing the safety and security” of the officers’ coworkers, and criticizing canceled visitation in a number of facilities as well.

The strikers’ demands included the reversal of the Humane Alternatives to Long-Term Solitary Confinement (HALT) Act, cuts on third party vendors, increased mail security and visitor body scans, and improvements to improve officer work-life balance — including wage and staff increases, such as raising the level of overtime pay to 100% on weekdays and 150% on Fridays and weekends, no overtime mandates over 16 hours, pay grade increases, no 30% staff reduction or reassignment, a pilot program to incentivize new employees and a hiring bonus of $5,000.

DOCCS initial reply suggested many of the demands would require change in legislation, including reversal of HALT, grandfathering tiers of pay or benefits to a higher tier and recruiting suggestions including 20-year retirement, incentive hiring bonus, overtime pay increases, step raises adjusted to the top rate at 15 years and retention benefit of 25-year retirement lock, with security families receiving full retirement after that time.

The following document was presented as “Exhibit 1” in court, and is the document DOCCS addressed when replying to corrections officer demands:

802914_2025_New_York_State_Departm_v_New_York_State_Departm_EXHIBIT_S__3Download

More coverage on this story

• Correction officer strikes continue for fourth day after court mandate to end them (2/20)

• Judge grants order to stop correction officers strike (2/19)

• What is the HALT Act? The talking point law that’s part of the correction officer strike, explained (2/19)

• How the Taylor Law bans correction officers from striking (2/18)

• State preparing to send National Guard to staff prisons where officers are striking (2/18)

• Officers striking outside of Collins Correctional Facility (2/17)

Aidan Joly joined the News 4 staff in 2022. He is a graduate of Canisius College. You can see more of his work here.

WIVB’s Adam Duke contributed to this reporting. Read more of his work here.

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