Assemblyman Brian Maher (R,C-Walden) joined his colleagues in the Assembly Minority Conference in signing a letter to Gov. Kathy Hochul and legislative leaders calling for immediate action to address New York’s worsening correction officer staffing crisis.

The letter urges state leaders to include two key policies in the final state budget to support the recruitment and retention of correctional officers, including the “death gamble protection” legislation (A.9084 of 2024), which would protect the pension benefits of spouses of correctional officers who die after qualifying for retirement but before officially retiring. The letter also urges the passage of bill A.6942, which would provide a 20-year retirement plan for New York City correctional officers.

New York is facing a severe correctional officer staffing crisis, with more than 4,500 vacancies statewide and New York City staffing dropping from 8,098 in 2021 to just 4,975 by 2025. Ongoing safety concerns, declining quality of life and rising assaults on staff are driving high resignation and retirement rates, making recruitment increasingly difficult. Lawmakers argue that without providing correctional officers with retirement benefits comparable to those offered to State Police, the NYPD and the FDNY, the state will continue to struggle to attract and retain personnel.

“This is a public safety crisis — plain and simple. When our correctional facilities are understaffed, it puts officers, inmates and surrounding communities at risk,” said Meghan Hurlburt, Assemblyman Maher’s chief of staff. “We’re asking for common-sense solutions that bring fairness and parity to correctional officers — like protecting their families’ pensions and offering retirement benefits comparable to those of other law enforcement. If we want to recruit and retain the best, we need to start treating them with the respect they’ve earned.”

The lawmakers say the situation demands immediate action to address both safety concerns and long-standing workforce challenges.

“Correction officers deserve honesty, accountability and leadership that puts safety ahead of politics. That means accurate reporting of violence, meaningful staffing reforms and a serious reevaluation of policies that have failed in practice,” said Hurlburt. “Until Albany is willing to do that, New York’s prisons will remain understaffed, overworked — and under attack.”