Officers: Violence rising at Mohawk Correctional Facility

ROME, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — Over the week of August 2 to August 6, there were seven inmate on inmate fights and one instance where an inmate kicked an officer, the New York State Correctional Officers & Police Benevolent Association (NYSCOPBA) said.

At this current pace, inmate on inmate assaults will rise by 50% compared to 2023 and could exceed 3000 total assaults for this year. Inmate on staff assaults will also rise by 30% this year with the current pace, according to the NYSCOPBA.

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With the seven inmate fights over that week, two inmates needed to be taken to the hospital for a broken jaw and multiple cuts.

In the instance where the inmate kicked an officer, the officer tried to pat and frisk the inmate, who was intoxicated, for contraband and was kicked in the knee by the inmate while searching him.

The officer then pepper sprayed the inmate and he became compliant, according to the NYSCOPBA.

On that same day, a visitor was arrested for bringing two bundles of drugs into the prison that she was hiding in her pants.

The two bundles had 18 grams of marijuana, 22 pills that later tested positive for ecstasy and a paper sheet saturated with an unknown liquid, the NYSCOPBA said.

“The number of assaults are staggering in our facilities and there is no end in sight.  Short staffing, mandated overtime and ridiculous disciplinary policies have contributed to the historic levels of violence.  In four short years, inmate on inmate violence will have tripled at its current pace.   There is literally nothing left to protect staff and other inmates from being attacked by violent inmates who know there is no disciplinary system left to punish them.   Our members are literally treading water trying to keep themselves safe while performing their duties to the best of their abilities.  It is a unsustainable system in its current form and the state needs to take immediate action to address the violence.”-stated Bryan Hluska , central region vice president for the NYSCOPBA.

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