Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C-Batavia) attended a press conference today to call out Gov. Hochul’s administration for its decision to allow for the early release of certain inmates due to the staffing shortage caused by the governor’s decision to fire thousands of correctional officers for raising concerns about their working conditions.
The State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) Commissioner Daniel Martuscello announced yesterday that inmates may be eligible for release if they are within 110 days of an approved release date and have an approved residence to live in. Hawley sees this as a slap in the face to the law enforcement community and a serious public safety concern.
“Gov. Hochul’s public safety strategy is beginning to sound like a late April Fools’ joke,” said Hawley. “Not only has she fired thousands of correctional officers across the state, but now she’s letting prisoners out of jail early to try to fix the problem she created. This administration has created a system of anarchy in our state prisons. This is unacceptable, and I will do everything within my power to ensure this policy is reversed and law and order is restored in our state.”
