The state’s HALT Act, which restricts the use of solitary confinement in prisons, has been in the news a lot lately.   

It was signed into law by former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in 2021. But over the past few months, prison guards have blamed the HALT Act for violence in prisons. Most recently, they point to an incident at Collins’ Correctional facility in western New York where 11 guards and a nurse were sent to the hospital after a prisoner’s suspected suicide attempt.

At a press conference, Hochul responded to the incident by telling prison guards that she’s willing to revisit the HALT Act.

Additionally, the state inspector general’s office recently issued a report showing that the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) is failing to adhere to the HALT law’s requirements, though there is evidence that the prison system’s lack of modernization is an obstacle to implementing the law.

Author of the HALT law, and the chair of the Crime Victims, Crime and Corrections Committee, state Sen. Julia Salazar, spoke to Capital Tonight host Susan Arbetter about the situation.

According to an emailed statement to Capital Tonight, New York State Correctional Officers & Police Benevolent AssociationPresident Chris Summers said: “It’s unfathomable that the New York State Legislature continues to ignore or acknowledge what is clear to those of us who  work in  prisons and county jails. The statistics clearly indicate that since April of 2022, violence in our prisons has increased to levels that are unsustainable as staffing shortages and mandatory overtime  have pushed staff to their limits. The Governor finally just acknowledged that the Halt Act needs to be addressed as a result of historical levels of violence."