An inmate died in a New York prison as guards at institutions across the state continue their strike, which is now in its second week.
Jonathon Grant, 61, died over the weekend at one of the prisons where corrections officers walked off the job to strike. National Guard troops were deployed by Gov. Kathy Hochul to fill in during their absence in efforts to alleviate staffing issues.
Grant was pronounced dead Saturday after he was found unresponsive in his cell at the Auburn Correctional Facility. He was serving a 34-to-40-year sentence for rape and burglary.
It’s unclear if prison staffing played a role in Grant’s death. The manner in which he died will be determined by a medical examiner.
“No one has ever seen the amount of violence and disregard for the safety of the officers, not to mention the fact that staffing is at an all-time low and officers are being mandated to work 24 hours straight with the threat of termination should they leave the prison,” Ventre said.
Assaults on prison system staff jumped from 1,043 in 2019 to 1,938 in the first 11 months of 2024, according to state officials. Meanwhile, assaults on inmates ballooned from 1,267 in 2019 to 2,697 for the first 11 months of 2024.
Last week, six guards were charged with murder in the December beating death of inmate Robert Brooks at the Marcy Correctional Facility.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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